An imam died Wednesday after being shot outside a mosque in Newark, New Jersey, officials told Fox News Digital.
The religious leader, identified as Imam Hassan Sharif by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, was struck at the Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque at South Orange Avenue and Camden Street at around 6:15 a.m., according to a spokesperson for the Newark Police Department.
He was transported to University Hospital where he died just after 2:20 p.m., Robert Florida, spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, told Fox News Digital.
Sayedahmed said that the imam is a “beacon of leadership in his community” and they “are praying for his full and speedy recovery.”
A map pinpoints the Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque at South Orange Avenue and Camden Street in Newark, N.J. An imam was killed after being shot outside the mosque on Wednesday morning. (Google Maps)
“We ask others to do the same,” Sayedahmed said. “As always, and irrespective of this specific incident, we advise all mosques to keep their doors open but remain cautious, especially given the recent spike in anti-Muslim bigotry.”
Wednesday’s shooting follows the stabbing of an imam at a New Jersey mosque in April as he led his congregation in prayer.
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephen said: “Every lead will be investigated to bring the perpetrator to justice.”
A $25,000 reward is being offered for information on the shooting, authorities said.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
Leave a Reply