Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, a Mauritanian national who was facing hate crime and terrorism charges for shooting an Orthodox Jewish man near a Chicago synagogue, was found dead in his jail cell on Saturday in what officials described as an apparent suicide.
Abdallahi was discovered unresponsive during a routine security check at Cook County Jail around 3:30 PM, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at Mt. Sinai Hospital. Authorities said there were no indications Abdallahi was at risk of self-harm before the incident.
The charges stemmed from an Oct. 26 attack in Chicago’s West Rogers Park neighborhood, where Abdallahi allegedly shot a 39-year-old man on his way to synagogue. The victim, who was wearing a kippah, was struck in the shoulder and survived. Investigators said Abdallahi’s cellphone contained searches for local synagogues and Jewish community centers, along with over 100 images and videos described as antisemitic and supportive of Hamas.
Abdallahi was identified shortly after the attack and critically injured in an exchange of gunfire with responding officers. He was hospitalized and later transferred to Cook County Jail, where he remained in custody until his death.
Officials said there was no evidence of foul play in the apparent suicide, and the investigation into his death is ongoing.
