New Jersey imam shot dead by gunman outside Newark mosque
Newark, New Jersey - A New Jersey imam was killed after he was shot outside a Newark mosque on Wednesday morning.
The shooting occurred near Masjid Muhammad-Newark at the corner of Camden Street and South Orange Avenue around 6:15 AM ET, where a gunman confronted the spiritual leader after morning prayers.
The victim was rushed to University Hospital in critical condition, police said. He was later identified as Imam Hassan Sharif.
At the hospital, Imam Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, convener of the Council of Imams in New Jersey, told northjersey.com that Sharif was shot twice in a parking lot and was undergoing surgery. However, he announced around 2:30 PM that Sharif had died from his injuries.
The imam, who was also a Transportation Security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport, was attacked at gunpoint several months ago but wrestled the gun away, Shareef said. That suspect was not caught, and it's unclear if the incidents are related, Shareef added.
No other injuries were reported, nor have suspect information or potential motives.
Fears grow amid heightened Islamophobia
The shooting comes in the wake of a significant increase in Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents in the US as Israel's war on Gaza rages on.
However, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said there were no indications the shooting was a hate crime.
"My office is in direct communication with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office as they work with the Newark Police Department to identify the person or persons responsible for this act of violence," Platkin said in a statement.
"At a time when bias incidents against members of the Muslim community are on the rise, we know that this act of gun violence will heighten fears and concerns in our state."
"Every possible angle will, of course, be explored, and every lead will be fully investigated to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice," Platkin said.
The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations urged the public to come forward to assist the investigation.
"As always, and irrespective of this specific incident, we advise all mosques to keep their doors open but remain cautious, especially given the recent spike in anti-Muslim bigotry," Dina Sayedahmed, communications manager at CAIR-NJ, said in a statement.
Governor Phil Murphy also offered his condolences.
"At a time when the Muslim community is concerned by an increase of bias incidents and crimes, I want to assure the Muslim community and people of all faiths that we will do everything in our power to keep all residents safe, especially in or near our houses of worship," he added.
Cover photo: REUTERS