Muhammad Syed 51-year-old man was charged with killing two fellow Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is an Afghan immigrant who is Muslim. He is accused of killing two other people, whose killings created dread in Muslim communities across the country.
On Twitter, Police Chief Medina announced that officials had tracked down a car suspected of being involved in one of the slayings in New Mexico’s largest city. “The driver was apprehended, and he is our major suspect in the murders,” claimed the tweet. He also stated that Syed had a criminal misdemeanor record in the United States, including an instance of domestic abuse, dating back three or four years.
According to the criminal complaint, authorities established that bullet casings discovered in Syed’s car matched the caliber of the weapons used in two of the deaths and that casings discovered at the crime sites were related to firearms discovered at Syed’s residence and in his vehicle.
According to court filings, authorities seized a 9 mm handgun from his car and claimed they discovered an AK-47-style rifle and a pistol of the same caliber at the family home while serving a search warrant. The weapons were lawfully bought last month. At a nearby gun shop, Syed purchased the rifle and his son Shaheen Syed purchased the handgun.
Police said they were about to search Syed’s Albuquerque home on Monday when they saw him drive away in a Volkswagen Jetta that investigators believe was used in at least one of the slayings.
President Joe Biden condemned the killings, saying they had “no place in America.” They also sent shivers through Muslim communities, with some questioning their safety and restricting their travels.
Naeem Hussain was assassinated Friday night, while the other three guys were slain in ambush shootings. Hussain, 25, was originally from Pakistan. His death occurred only days after the deaths of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussain, 41, all from Pakistan and members of the same mosque.
As the inquiry continued, Albuquerque and state officials worked to increase police presence at mosques during prayer hours. The city is home to up to 5,000 Muslims out of a total population of 565,000.
Debbie Almontaser, a Muslim community leader in New York, claimed a female acquaintance who lives in Michigan and wears the hijab head covering confided in her over the weekend.
“She’s like, ‘This is so terrifying. I’m so scared. I travel alone,'” Almontaser said.Aneela Abad, general secretary of the Islamic Center of New Mexico, described a community in shock following the deaths, its sorrow exacerbated by bewilderment and anxiety of what may happen next.
Ahmad Assed, a spokesman for the Islamic Center of New Mexico, told the BBC the killings have been horrific for the city’s Muslim community.
