Imam shot dead outside New Jersey mosque; shooter remains at large: Police
- 04 Jan 2024
Police in New Jersey hunted on Thursday for the killer of a Muslim leader who was shot outside his mosque before morning prayers, offering cash to anyone who can help them make an arrest.
Authorities said they had no evidence that religious hate motivated the imam's slaying, but vowed to protect people of faith amid soaring reports of bias attacks across the US.
The killing of imam Hassan Sharif as he prepared to open the Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque on Wednesday has generated an intense law enforcement dragnet. The state's attorney general pledged to assist county and local officials, and the Essex County sheriff announced a $25,000 reward.
Sharif was in his car when he was shot more than once at about 6am near the Masjid-Muhammad Mosque in Newark, the state’s largest city, Essex County Prosecutor Ted Stephens said at a news conference. He was taken to a nearby hospital but died in the afternoon.
"While the perpetrator’s motive remains unknown 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,” said Dina Sayedahmed, a spokeswoman for CAIR's New Jersey chapter.
Attorney General Matt Platkin said Wednesday there's no evidence yet that Sharif's killing was a hate crime, but he and other officials didn't detail how they determined that, or offer more details beyond saying Sharif was shot more than once in his car at about 6am, and was quickly taken to the adjacent University Hospital, where he died in the afternoon.
"I know that in light of global events and with a rise in bias directed at many communities we’re experiencing across our state — particularly the Muslim community — there are many in New Jersey right now who are feeling a heightened sense of fear or anxiety at the news of this slaying,” Platkin said.
Despite that, Platkin said law enforcement has stepped up outreach to houses of worship, particularly Jewish and Muslim ones, explicitly acknowledging the tensions unfolding in many parts of the world amid the fighting in Gaza since the Oct.7, 2023.
Sharif had been a resident imam at the local mosque for five years, Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said. He remembered the imam as a leader in the interfaith community who worked to keep the city safe.
"We share your pain and we promise to utilise the full resources of those here and those who are continuing to partner with us to we make sure that this heinous crime is solved,” he said.
The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation, called Sharif a "beacon of leadership and excellence,” and said that while the shooter’s motives are unknown, the group is advising all mosques to "remain cautious” while keeping their doors open.
About 320,000 of the state's roughly 9 million residents are Muslim, Platkin said. After Wednesday's shooting, officials reached out to Muslim communities in the city and across the state.
"We’re asking everybody in our community and our partners to let us know if there’s anything that they want to be done and anything that is making them feel unsafe so we can respond,” he said.
Associated Press
