Report: Jewish 24-year-old Eliyahu Moscowitz shot dead in Chicago

Eliyahu Moscowitz was a kashrut supervisor at a store in the region and was killed on the eve of Simchat Torah.

By HADAS LABRISCH
Gun [illustrative] 150 (photo credit: REUTERS/Carlo Allegri )
Gun [illustrative] 150
(photo credit: REUTERS/Carlo Allegri )
24-year-old Eliyahu Moscowitz, an observing Jew from Chicago, was murdered on Tuesday in Loyola Park, less than 48 hours after an almost identical killing of 73-year-old Douglass Watts, reported The Chicago Tribune on Wednesday morning.
Although the motives for these shootings is unknown, Chicago police confirmed on Tuesday that the same gun was used in both incidents, suggesting the attacks were the work of the same gunman.
“To all the residents of the Rogers Park community, your city is standing with you, supporting you, at this moment,” commented Mayor Rahm Emanuel at a news conference. "I know firsthand the Rogers Park community is strong, is resilient and is a supportive community. We need those core values and the Police Department needs those core values at this time.”
Eliyahu Moscowitz was a kashrut supervisor at a store in the region and was killed on the eve of Simchat Torah. As his family observe the holiday, they weren't reached by phone for several hours.
Douglass Watts, 73, was an elderly man living in the area. He was shot a single bullet in the head on Sunday. Moscowitz was murdered in precisely the same manner, with one shot to the head.
Moscowitz and Watts apparently did not know each other, but police suspect that the cases are connected. As Watts was gay and Moscowitz a practicing Jew, suspicions arise regarding whether the murders are hate crimes. Superintendent Eddie Johnson said it was too early to rule anything out.


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