Police in Albuquerque are investigating three murders of Muslim men. They believe they may be connected.
Police said earlier this week that Muhammad Afzaal Hussain (27), and Aftab Hussein (41), both Pakistani men who had been attending the same mosque, were shot to death.
According to police, a third Muslim man was shot and killed on Saturday morning. The identity of the latest victim has not been released, though the police said he was a “young man.”
The authorities said they believed this week’s violence might also be connected to the November 2021 killing in Albuquerque of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, another Muslim man of South Asian descent.
The authorities didn’t elaborate on the motives for the killings and did not mention whether any witnesses were present to the homicides. But they stated that they believed the Muslim Community was being targeted.
The Albuquerque Police Department, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, is asking city residents to come forward with any information that could be connected to the killings.
“This is something that impacts us all,” Raúl Torrez, the Bernalillo County district attorney, said at a news conference on Saturday. “Every member of this community has to stand up.”
Officials at the Islamic Center of New Mexico, still reeling after Friday’s funeral for Mr. Hussain, and Mr. Hussein on Friday night, stated that they were shocked to hear of another death the next day.
“We are incredibly sickened with the idea that someone has this much hate against innocent people,” said Ahmad Assed, the president of the Islamic Center of New Mexico. “We’re scared for our families, we’re scared for our children. And we are incredibly confused about why this is happening.”
Friday’s announcement by the Council on American-Islamic Relations stated that it would pay a $5,000 reward to anyone who can provide information that could lead to the arrest or conviction of the murderer.
“We’ve really never seen something like this, where there’s multiple similar murders that really seem connected,” said Ibrahim Hooper, the national communications director for the council.
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