An imam shot outside a mosque near New York, has died, according to a state’s attorney.
The killing did not initially appear to be a result of bias or domestic terrorism.
The man, Hassan Sharif, was shot multiple times before being taken to the hospital where he later died.
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said the evidence collected thus far does not indicate that the crime was motivated by bias or domestic terrorism.
The state is home to 300,000 Muslim Americans and has experienced an increase in Islamophobic and anti-Semitic attacks since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.
Essex county prosecutor Ted Stephens confirmed that the imam was shot multiple times and that it does not appear to be related to terrorism. He called the incident a “dastardly crime” and expressed his commitment to justice for the imam’s family.
The United States Transportation Security Administration confirmed that Sharif had worked as a security screener at Newark airport since 2016.
The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) published images of police vehicles deployed outside the mosque. CAIR is set to hold an event to demand the shooter hand themselves into police.
