A Cook County judge sentenced 47-year-old Jimmy Smith, who has more than a dozen prior felony convictions, to 20 years in jail for fatally shooting a grocery store clerk during a 2024 robbery. Smith pleaded guilty to murder before Judge Ursula Walowski, who ruled that the entire sentence be served.
Prosecutors said Smith went to the Half Moon grocery shop at 360 East 79th Street on January 9, 2024, just before it closed. Around 10:15 p.m., clerk Shadi Almomani, 43, was walking to his car behind the store when Smith confronted him.
A witness reported hearing someone demand Almomani’s wallet, which was followed by a single gunshot. Prosecutors analyzed surveillance video, which showed Smith shooting Almomani in the head as the victim attempted to flee.
According to investigators, Smith handed money to others at the scene before departing. No other suspects have been charged.
Almomani had recently migrated to the United States from Jordan, where he was claimed to have served as a police officer.
Smith’s criminal record spans decades, with dozens of cases dating back to 1995. According to court documents, he served multiple prison sentences for auto theft in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2013, and 2021. He was also convicted twice of evading electronic monitoring and sentenced to three years in 2017 for attempting to disarm a peace officer.
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