Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, are appealing for assistance from the public in finding a dark-colored vehicle that is thought to be involved in the shooting deaths of three Muslim males who were ambushed and killed in separate instances.
Albuquerque police requested that anybody with information on a dark-colored, four-door Volkswagen, maybe a Jetta or a Passat, with tinted windows and suspected damage contact authorities “as soon as possible” during a news conference on Sunday.
Mayor Tim Keller said that police suspect the car was involved in the killing of an unnamed Muslim man in Albuquerque on Friday night.
Keller told reporters on Sunday, “We’ve learned some about what occurred, and we’ve received some leads.
“We have a promising lead and an intriguing vehicle. We have no idea with what it’s connected or whom it belongs.”
According to Albuquerque police chief Harold Medina, the homicide on Friday is thought to be connected to three other ambush-style shooting deaths of Muslim males.
There is grounds to assume that this death is connected to the gunshots that resulted in the other three homicides that we discussed on Thursday, according to Medina.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that on August 1 Muhammed Afzaal Hussain, 27, was shot and murdered, while Aftab Hussein, 41, was slain on July 26. Both individuals were Pakistani and belonged to the same mosque.
Following the murder of Muslim man of South Asian heritage Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, in November 2021, their deaths occurred. Ahmadi was murdered in front of a store and café that he and his brother ran together.
According to the Journal, Albuquerque police had previously said that there was a “high chance” that all three of the preceding killings were connected.
The Albuquerque Police Department established a public site on Saturday where anybody may post any recordings or images that may provide information on the spate of killings of Muslim males in the region during the previous nine months.
Police couldn’t say for sure if the lead on the car came from the gateway.
I am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque. While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community.
These hateful attacks have no place in America. — President Biden
The Muslim community in Albuquerque has been rattled by the spate of killings. On Sunday, police said that it was still too early to determine if the killings will be considered hate crimes.
On Sunday morning, President Joe Biden tweeted his outrage at the murders and his condolences to the families involved.
Mr. Biden wrote, “I am incensed and horrified by the horrible deaths of four Muslim men in Albuquerque.
“My thoughts are with the relatives of the victims as we wait for the results of the thorough inquiry, and my administration fully supports the Muslim community.
These vile assaults have no place in the United States.”
In a tweet, Vice President Kamala Harris expressed her “great distress” over the deaths and said that the White House supports the Muslim community as police continue their investigation.
The murders of four Muslim men in Albuquerque “very concern me,” Harris said. “We continue to make it abundantly clear that we support the Muslim community in New Mexico and throughout our nation while law enforcement looks into these horrible acts.
America is not a haven for hatred.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations said on Saturday that there would be a $10,000 prize for information that would result in an arrest.
In a statement released on Saturday, Nihad Awad, the national executive director of CAIR, claimed that “this tragedy is affecting not just the Muslim community but all Americans.”
“Regardless of the ethnicity, religion, or origin of the victims or the offenders, we must stand together against hatred and violence.
We kindly ask anybody with knowledge of these offences to come forward by getting in touch with law enforcement.”