An imam who was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after being shot Wednesday morning outside a Newark, New Jersey, mosque, has died, NBC News reported.
According to the outlet, which cited law enforcement sources, Hassan Sharif died at 2:20 p.m. at University Hospital.
Police said he was shot in his abdomen and right arm.
The shooting took place outside Masjid Muhammad mosque on the corner of Camden Street and South Orange Avenue shortly after 6:15 a.m. according to reports.
CBS News reported that the mosque appeared to be open for the 6 a.m. Fajr prayer, the first of five daily prayers, when the shooting occurred.
Police have yet to name a suspect or identify a motive in the assault.
"At a time when bias incidents against members of the Muslim community are on the rise, we know that this act of gun violence will heighten fears and concerns in our state," New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. "This investigation is ongoing, but at this time we do not have any information suggesting the crime was motivated by bias. Every possible angle will, of course, be explored and every lead will be fully investigated to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice."
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said his administration will take whatever action it deems necessary if the violence is determined to be a hate crime.
"If there's any evidence that this was anything, broadly speaking, a hate crime, Islamophobia, anything in that lane, it is completely reprehensible, unacceptable in the state of New Jersey; and we will take whatever actions we need to take," Murphy said. "But again, that's assuming it's the case. I do not have confirmation that it is the case. But I will say this: We pray for the imam and his family, certainly, fervently."
CBS reported that Newark police officers could be seen positioned outside the mosque's entrance hours after the incident, with a state police helicopter monitoring the scene from the sky.
The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations put out a public appeal, asking anyone with information on the shooting to contact police.
"We are deeply concerned about this incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the imam," the organization said in a statement.
NBC reported that Sharif was a transportation security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport and was listed as an advisory board member from 2022 to 2023 for the mosque's social services and health wellness program.
Formerly known as Temple #25, the mosque was founded in 1957 and also houses the Clara Mohammed School-Newark for K-12 students, according to its website.
Members of the public are asked to call the Newark Police Department at 1-877-NWK TIPS (1-877-695-8477) with information.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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