‘Don’t Erase His Identity’: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Slammed for Response to Shooting of Orthodox Jew

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson faced backlash on Wednesday for releasing a statement on the shooting of an Orthodox Jewish man in his city that made no mention of the victim being Jewish.

“On behalf of the City of Chicago, our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the victim and his loved ones from this weekend’s shooting incident that took place in Rogers Park,” Johnson wrote on X/Twitter. “This tragic event should have never happened, and we recognize the dedication of our first responders who put their lives on the line during this shooting.”

He added, “All Chicagoans deserve to feel safe and protected across the city. There is more work to be done, and we are committed to diligently improving community safety in every neighborhood.”

Johnson received criticism for not mentioning that the man who was attacked was visibly Jewish, or suggesting it could have been a hate crime.

The victim, 39, was shot by a 22-year-old gunman, Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, in an area of Chicago home to many Orthodox Jews on Saturday, according to police.

The attacker reportedly yelled “Allahu Akbar” during a gunfight after being confronted by police. However, Chicago officials could not confirm what the assailant said and noted it is “nothing that we could bring in as evidence at this point that would support any motive against his actions towards our officers or towards our victim.”

Abdallahi was charged with six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm toward a police officer or firefighter, and one count of aggravated battery with a firearm.

Community leaders expressed outrage over Abdallahi not being charged with a hate crime among the other felony charges. Many took particular aim at Johnson for his response.

“The victim was a Jewish man, who was wearing traditional Jewish garb, walking to a Jewish place of worship on the Jewish day of rest,” said Chicago’s 50th Ward Alderman Debra Silverstein in response to Johnson’s statement. “Don’t erase his identity and don’t try to minimize the fear and anxiety my community feels after this attack. We’re scared and we need to know that our mayor has our back.”

The Chicago Jewish Community Relations Council similarly reacted to Johnson, writing, “You failed to identify that the victim was a Jewish man, in a densely populated Jewish neighborhood, going to synagogue for Shabbat morning prayers. What will it take for you to acknowledge the Jewish community?”

Other local Jewish organizations, such as Chicago offices of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and Anti-Defamation League (ADL), made statements on what Johnson wrote, and more specifically on what he omitted.

US Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) also criticized Johnson. He asked, in a post on X, “Why not mention WHY the victim was shot (because he was Jewish)? Why not mention WHERE the victim was shot (en route to a synagogue)?”

“Any Mayor who cannot be bothered to acknowledge the antisemitism of a hate crime against a Jewish man heading to a synagogue is unworthy of the office he holds,” Torres wrote. “An act of hate against the Jewish community is an act of hate against us all.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also released a statement about the shooting, writing that he was “deeply troubled by the shooting of an Orthodox Jewish man as he walked to his synagogue in West Rogers Park on Saturday.”

Pritzker noted, “This is another alarming reminder of violence invading our communities, preventing some Illinoisians from living and worshipping without fear.”

Authorities said the investigation into Saturday’s attack remains ongoing and have not yet declared a motive in the shooting.

The post ‘Don’t Erase His Identity’: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Slammed for Response to Shooting of Orthodox Jew first appeared on Algemeiner.com.