Harold Medina, Albuquerque City Police Commissioner, reported Saturday that “a young man who is part of the Muslim community” was murdered Friday night. The victim’s name and details of how he died were not made public. In the remaining three cases, the victims were ambushed and shot without warning, police said. According to Medina, the fourth murder may be related to the other three.
Muhammad Afzaal Hussain (27) came from Pakistan and worked for the American city of Espanola as director of spatial planning. He was shot and killed in front of his apartment building on Monday. Aftab Hussein, 41, was found dead on July 26 near the Albuquerque International District. He had also been shot. Both men went to the same mosque.
According to the police, there is a very good chance that their death could be linked to the murder of 62-year-old Mohammad Ahmadi, an Afghan immigrant who was gunned down in the parking lot of a halal supermarket in November last year.
New Mexico police said the three men appeared to have been targeted because of their religion and race.
“The targeted killings of Muslim residents of Albuquerque are deeply disturbing and totally unacceptable,” New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham tweeted Saturday night. The governor also said she is sending additional officers to Albuquerque to assist with the investigation.
