A Jewish man reportedly on his way to Synagogue was ambushed and shot from behind in Chicago on Saturday by a man allegedly yelling, “Allah Akbar.” He was later taken down by police.
The first shooting occurred at around 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning in the 2600 block of North Washtenaw Avenue in the city’s West Rogers Park neighborhood, an area that is home to a large Orthodox Jewish community.
Chicago’s WFLD reported that witnesses said the 39-year-old victim was walking to his synagogue when he was attacked.
The thus-far unidentified man was approached from behind and after several shots were fired, he was hit in the shoulder, police said.
However, the situation was far from over after the first shooting.
Once officers of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) arrived, the alleged shooter came back to the scene and began shooting at them, reports say. Police returned fire, striking the man. He was given first aid and rushed to the hospital where he remains in critical condition.
The victim was treated and released but was tended to by his neighbors before first responders arrived on the scene.
“That shows the good of people in this neighborhood, they’ll stop in to help other people,” local resident John Wong said, according to WLS-TV. “That’s one thing I like about this neighborhood.”
Kevin Bruno, deputy chief of the Chicago Police Department detectives bureau, spoke of the victim at a morning press conference and said, “an armed offender approached from behind and fired shots at the victim, striking the victim in the shoulder.”
“Responding officers responded to the scene, and as they were on the scene, at about 9:55, the offender re-emerged from a alley and fired shots at the officers and at the responding paramedics,” Bruno continued.
He also said the attacker’s bullets struck an ambulance and the incident lasted around two and a half minutes.
Bruno also praised the community, saying, “It’s great to see the community step in and offer assistance.”
50th Ward alderwoman Debra Silverstein said she visited the victim and that he is doing well.
“I visited him this afternoon, and he is doing well. I pray for his speedy recovery,” said Silverstein, JNS.org reported. “The shooting happened on Shabbat following the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah. I spoke with Superintendent Larry Snelling, who assured me that there is no more known threat and has committed the full support of the Chicago Police Department to ensuring the safety of our community.”
While the Chicago media appears to be avoiding the implications of the shooting, Yeshiva World News is reporting that video from a local resident’s doorbell device seems to reveal the shooter yelling Allah Akbar during his shootout with the CPD.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston.
