A serial killer who has been targeting Muslims in New Mexico for the past nine months struck again last night.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said yesterday that a “young man who is part of the Muslim community was murdered.”
The victim’s name and the circumstances of the murder were not disclosed. In the previous three cases, the victims were ambushed and shot without warning, police said.
Police said that the other three Muslim men murdered in the past nine months appeared to have been targeted for their religion and race.
“The targeted killings of Muslim residents of Albuquerque is deeply angering and wholly intolerable,” New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham tweeted. She also said she was deploying extra state police officers to Albuquerque to assist in the investigation.
Two of those murdered men were members of the same mosque, who were shot dead in Albuquerque in late July and early August. Police said there was a “strong possibility” their deaths were connected to the November killing of an Afghan immigrant.
Law enforcement urged the Muslim community to be vigilant, announced an increase in police patrols near Muslim institutions, and called on members of the public to report any suspicious activity or any information they feel might be relevant to the case.
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), has responded to the murder of another Albuquerque Muslim by raising its reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible to $10,000.
CAIR also called on the Biden administration to take a direct role in responding to the shooting spree and to ensure that law enforcement receives all the resources needed to immediately identify and stop the serial shooter.
“This tragedy is impacting not only the Muslim community – but all Americans,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “We must be united against hate and violence regardless of the race, faith or background of the victims or the perpetrators. We urge anyone with information about these crimes to come forward by contacting law enforcement.”
CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said: “The lives of Albuquerque Muslims are in danger. Whoever is responsible for this horrific, hateful shooting spree must be identified and stopped – now.
“We thank local, state and federal law enforcement for their ongoing work on this crisis, and we call the Biden administration to ensure that authorities all of the resources needed to both protect the Albuquerque Muslim community and stop those responsible for these horrific crimes before they claim more innocent lives.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed, and we pray that God enters them into Paradise as martyrs. We encourage Muslim communities and institutions across our nation to exercise vigilance and enhance their security while continuing to fearlessly and confidently live our faith.”
