A heroic Muslim police officer was killed following a deadly gun attack in an office building in New York City on Monday evening.
Didarul Islam, 36, was fatally shot whilst he was providing off duty security services for an office building in New York’s busy Manhattan district.
Islam, who had migrated to the U.S. from Bangladesh, was a father of two young sons and was expecting a third child with his pregnant wife.
New York City officials have labelled him as “a hero”, as the officer put himself in front of the shooter in an attempt to save civilian lives.
The shooting, which killed four people, including Islam, took place at 6:30pm on Monday.
27-year-old Shane Tamura from Nevada travelled across the country to the site of the shooting, where he arrived wearing body armour and carrying an M4 rifle, officials said during a press conference on Monday evening.
The lone gunman died on-site from a self-inflicted gunshot.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
Officials said he had a “documented mental health history”, and the motive for the shooting is currently being investigated by the FBI, according to New York Police Department Commissioner Jessi Tisch.
Members of the Bangladeshi community in the Bronx spent Monday evening visiting the officer’s home with his family and parents to grieve the loss, the New York Times reported.
Islam had migrated to the U.S. and worked in providing security for a school before he became a policeman.
Members of his community recalled how their friend had been an active member of his local mosque where he mentored young men in the area.
Maranjul Karim, one of the young men whom the late officer mentored, said that Islam had voluntarily put himself in a more dangerous line of work because “he wanted to leave behind a legacy for his family, something they could be proud of.”
The NYPD put out a statement on X, calling Islam “the very best of our department”.
New York Mayor Eric Adams said he was “doing what he does best… saving lives. He was protecting New Yorkers”.
Criticisms over the U.S.’ gun policy have arisen once again from other politicians.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for the mayoral election in Ohio, lamented how “another brave police officer murdered in cold blood in New York tonight.”
“This isn’t just a tragedy, it’s the cost of weak leadership and anti-cop policies. No more coddling criminals. No more ‘defund the police.’ Time to crush the spread of crime & make American cities safe again,” Ramaswamy wrote.
