Police are searching for a gunman who fatally shot an imam outside his mosque in Newark, New Jersey, on Wednesday, an incident that heightened fears in the Muslim community amid increased tension in the U.S. since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
The shooting, which does not appear to have been motivated by bias, occurred around 6:15 a.m. at South Orange Avenue and Camden Street, Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said.
Hassan Sharif, an imam at Masjid Muhammad-Newark, was hospitalized in critical condition. He died from his injuries around 2:20 p.m., law enforcement sources said.
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens told reporters Wednesday afternoon that Sharif was shot more than once.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew 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.”
He added that “every possible angle will, of course, be explored and every lead will be fully investigated.”
A motive is unclear, and the shooting remains under investigation. Requests for help and reports of bias incidents from Muslims across the U.S. have increased since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
New Jersey is home to 320,000 Muslim Americans, Platkin said.
The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it is gathering information about the shooting.
“We are deeply concerned about this incident. Anyone with information about the shooting should immediately contact local police,” CAIR-NJ said in a statement.
A spokesperson with the FBI in New Jersey said the agency is not involved in the investigation.
A pillar in the community
The shooter, who was wearing all black, was seen running from the scene of the gunfire, authorities said. No other…
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