Chicago police are investigating after apparent bullet holes were found at a Muslim-owned martial arts studio in Lincoln Square, and the Chicago Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling for the incident to be handled as a hate crime.
Officers responded to assess the damage to Redzovic Jiu-Jitsu, 4900 N. Lincoln, on Sunday, but they were unable to determine what caused the damage to the building’s windows, Chicago police said.
The person who called to report the damage said the incident happened about 9 p.m. on Saturday and was caught on surveillance cameras, police said.
In their report the officers say the video shows that as a vehicle is passing by the building “there is damage to the window,” but it’s not clear what causes that damage, police said. The investigation is ongoing.
A spokesperson for CAIR said the video shows a vehicle circling the area before pulling up by the studio. Some “flashes” can then be seen coming from the vehicle’s window. There were at least three apparent bullet holes discovered, the spokesperson said.
The CAIR spokesperson said the incident appears to be a hate crime because Eddie Redzovic, owner of the studio and its head instructor, is a well-known Muslim American personality. He hosts a show on YouTube called the Deen Show with hundreds of thousands of followers where he talks about his Muslim faith.
Redzovic’s studio is also a gathering place for other Muslims in the community, the CAIR spokesperson said, adding that worshipers often pray there.
The incident is also similar to the vandalism that was discovered at the Muslim Community Center in Irving Park. Apparent bullet holes were also found at that building last week. According to CAIR, the vehicle seen in the latest incident matches the description of a vehicle suspected in the community center incident.
In another incident, someone smashed a window displaying a Palestinian flag at Nabala Cafe in Uptown. On Sunday, the community packed the business to show their support for the cafe.
“It’s heartbreaking to see acts of violence like this in our beautiful city of Chicago, especially when they may be driven by hatred toward Muslims and Islam, as seen in a similar attack on a mosque nearby,” Redzovic said in a statement.
“I trust that our mayor and police chief will bring those responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our community. Instead of terrorizing us, we invite these individuals to visit the mosque, get to know us, and embrace love over hate, which is what the world truly needs.”