Four Muslim men murdered in New Mexico, FBI called in for support
Former FBI investigator Bill Daly breaks down the case as law enforcement investigates the attack.
New Mexico authorities are offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading police to one or more suspects involved in the possibly linked murders of four Muslim men slain over the past nine months.
Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers announced the reward on Sunday and urged anyone with information related to the killings to call Crime Stoppers at (505) 843-STOP (7867) or submit tips here.
This person could very well strike again, and strike again soon.
That same day, the Albuquerque Police Department released images of a vehicle that they believe to have been used for transport in the four murders. The car in question, a four-door dark gray or silver-colored Volkswagen sedan, bears tinted windows and is possibly a Jetta.
Four men — all from South Asia and all of whom practice the Muslim faith — have been ambushed, shot and killed since November 2021, police have said. Police have released limited information, but they have been more vocal in recent days about their effort for any tips from the public — which Fox News contributor Ted Williams said is likely for a very specific reason.
"When you look at the fact that they are limiting the information, but they are doing it with some sense of urgency … and do believe that it is a specific group, meaning Muslims, that are being targeted," said Williams, a renowned attorney and former homicide detective, "They feel that there is a sense of urgency because this person could very well strike again and strike again soon."
ALBUQUERQUE POLICE, FBI INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN FOUR MURDERED MUSLIM MEN
The first incident was reported on Nov. 7, 2021, when 62-year-old Mohammad Ahmadi was discovered shot and killed in the rear parking lot of a halal café he owned with his brother on San Mateo Boulevard, according to city officials and local affiliate KRQE-TV. Ahmadi was from Afghanistan, police said.
Muhammad Afzaal Hussain was a planning and land use director for the city of Española. According to the mayor, Tuesday would have been his one-year anniversary in his position. (The City of Española)
Then, 41-year-old Aftab Hussein was fatally wounded on July 26, 2022. On Aug. 1, the third victim, local city planner Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, was gunned down, police said.
Both men were killed near Central Avenue in southeast Albuquerque, police said. Both are also Muslim and from Pakistan.
NEW MEXICO FBI, POLICE INVESTIGATING IF SHOOTING DEATHS OF 3 MUSLIM MEN ARE CONNECTED
Most recently, a man in his mid-20s was discovered fatally wounded in the area of Truman Street and Grand Avenue just before midnight on Friday. He was later identified as Naeem Hussain, a Muslim man from Pakistan.
President Biden wrote in a tweet on Sunday that he was "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," he tweeted, "and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community. These hateful attacks have no place in America."
Police said they are not yet able to say whether the murders are considered hate crimes, noting that they must first find their suspect and determine a motive.
When asked for a general idea of what this investigation’s next steps might look like, Williams said police are "trying to find and connect the dots."
"And the best way to do that is through a forensic analysis of the bullets that they may or may not have found in the four men to try to connect those bullets to a single gun," Williams added.
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He noted that investigators might also already have the name of a possible suspect but just have not gone as far as sharing it.
Fox News' Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
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