Suspected bank robber killed during shootout with FBI was on felony pretrial release

On Thursday afternoon, a convicted bank robber on felony pretrial release and with an active arrest warrant was shot and killed by federal agents during a standoff on the West Side, according to officials.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased as 25-year-old Abdulhafedh Abdulhafedh.

In 2023, Abdulhafedh admitted to financial institution robbery in Will County and was sentenced to four years for an attempted robbery at a BMO Harris Bank in New Lenox. Additionally, he received a three-year sentence in Cook County that year for possessing a stolen vehicle and aggravated fleeing, court records show.

More recently, Abdulhafedh was arrested by Elmhurst police on March 11 for possessing a stolen motor vehicle. He was released pending trial, failed to appear in court, and consequently had an active arrest warrant since April 14, as per court records.

Federal agents reported that Abdulhafedh opened fire on them during a confrontation in the 3700 block of West Lexington Street shortly before 3 p.m. on Thursday, leading to his being shot.

Scene footage reveals agents in two SUVs cornering Abdulhafedh’s SUV by the curb. The video shows him repeatedly trying to escape by accelerating and reversing but failing to break free. Agents then deployed explosive devices into the SUV, blowing out the sunroof and filling the vehicle with smoke. The footage later shows Abdulhafedh extending his arm through the shattered sunroof and shooting toward agents across the street, prompting them to return fire.

During the ongoing confrontation, the SUV’s rear hatch opened, and the video captures gunfire from inside, damaging part of the FBI vehicle’s passenger-side mirror. The FBI reported no injuries among their agents.

Authorities did not specify which bank robbery Abdulhafedh was suspected of, but a law enforcement source suggested the agents were investigating a February 3, 2026, bank robbery at a BMO Harris in Lisle, involving three offenders.

In 2021, Abdulhafedh faced charges related to an attempted bank robbery in New Lenox, as reported by Shaw Local. He allegedly entered the bank, handed a teller a garbage bag, and demanded cash. The robbery was interrupted by a customer, leading to his escape without money.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the getaway vehicle had been stolen from a Libertyville car dealership a week prior. Detectives recovered the vehicle and purportedly found Abdulhafedh’s fingerprints on the steering wheel and the discarded garbage bag, according to the Shaw Media report.

On Thursday, a man claiming to be Abdulhafedh’s brother spoke to ABC7, expressing his devastation over the shooting. “I don’t know nothing about if he was tied with no bank robbery,” he said. “If he was, that’s something I didn’t know about.”

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