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NY Imam Shooting Suspect Charged

NY Imam Shooting Suspect Charged
NY Imam Shooting Suspect Charged

New York police have charged a man with murder in connection with the killing of an imam and an aide on Saturday. Oscar Morel, 35, was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon. Imam Maulana Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, were shot in the head as they were walking after prayers in the borough of Queens. Some mosque-goers suggested it was a hate crime, but police said there was no evidence so far that the men had been targeted because of their faith, BBC reported. Following the shooting, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio said Muslims were living “in the perpetual crosshairs of bigotry”. On Monday, the NY Police Department said Morel had been charged with two counts of second-degree murder. He was arrested on Sunday following a hit-and-run traffic accident just after the shootings. The gunman was seen on CCTV video fleeing the scene in a car. About 10 minutes later a vehicle matching that description hit a cyclist several miles away. Police gave no details about a possible motive for the shooting. On Monday, hundreds of mourners gathered for a funeral service for the two victims.

 

Financialtribune.com