Photo: Albuquerque Police Department
Police in Albuquerque have made an arrest in connection with therecent killings of Muslim menaround the city.
PEOPLE confirms that authorities have arrested 51-year-old Muhammad Syed while he was heading east on the interstate towards Texas. He has been charged with two counts of murder, and authorities say that more charges may be pending.
During a Tuesday afternoon press conference, police announced that Syed has been charged in connection with two of the four recent shootings of Muslim men. They said that bullet casings found at the scenes of the two killings he’s accused of were fired from the same gun, which was allegedly later found in Syed’s possession.
On July 26, 41-year-old Aftab Hussein was ambushed and shot to death. Days later, on August 1, police found the body of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, on a sidewalk. He had also been shot to death. Both men were of Pakistani descent. Police have charged Syed with murder in connection with both shootings.
The first killing happened on November 7, 2021, when Mohammed Ahmadi, a 62-year-old Muslim man from Afghanistan, was shot and killed outside a business he ran with his brother.
Syed has not been charged in the killings of Ahmadi or Naeem Hussain.
Mohammad Ahmadi, Naeem Hussain, Muhammad A Hussain and Aftab Hussein.Albuquerque Police Department; Facebook; City of Espanola; Albuquerque Police Department
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
During the press conference, reporters asked Deputy Commander Kyle Hartsock whether the shootings were due to tensions between different sects of Islam. When asked specifically if Syed, a Sunni Muslim, was angry that his daughter married a Shiite Muslim, Hartsock did not respond directly.
“We do have some information about those events taking place,” Hartsock told reporters. “But we’re not really clear if that was the actual motive or if it was part of the motive, or if there’s a bigger picture that we’re missing. So what’s really important is we’re still investigating.”
Syed has not entered a plea in the charges against him. He is being held without bond and online records do not reflect an attorney authorized to speak on his behalf.
source: people.com
