Man arrested in shooting of prominent Muslim leader in Utah during Ramadan | US crime
A man who fired a gun at prominent Muslim leader Imam Shuaib Din in Utah has been arrested, the Sandy City Police Department said Saturday.
The suspect who attacked Din was identified as Abdul Raouf Afridi. Police said the man was arrested on 12 counts of aggravated assault, including felony use of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, removal of a dangerous weapon from a vehicle and possession of a dangerous weapon as a prohibited person.
Din, the leader of Utah’s largest mosque, was ambushed outside his home Monday evening. The gunman was reportedly waiting for the cleric to enter or exit after sunset prayers.
Police said Afridi knew Din before the shooting and located his car. Formal charges were not immediately filed by the local district attorney’s office and the case remained under investigation.
The Islamic Center of Utah asked the community to “avoid speculation” about the motive for the attempted shooting at Din.
Sandy police department Sergeant Michael Olsen said the attempted shooting was “a shock to the community” and “not something that normally occurs” in the city.
Din said that the masked and hooded gunman opened fire as he was leaving his garage to return to his mosque to pray at 19.45 in the evening. The gunman then walked away.
All the shots missed the cleric, whose mosque is located near the Sandy border in western Jordan. “Obviously he knew my house, he knew my car, he knew my schedule,” the priest said. Salt Lake Tribune.
Din said he followed the gunman to get his license plate, but the man walked up to him and shot him eight more times. Bullets passed through the front and rear seats as well as the windshield.
Din said he could not imagine who the attacker could be, saying the attacker was “probably someone from outside my community.” “I can’t think of anyone who would want to harm me, so it makes sense to investigate this as a possible hate crime,” he said in an interview with local broadcaster KSL-TV.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations had offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect. The organization also called for increased police protection for clergy and the Muslim community.
Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski and the Sandy city council said they were “deeply disturbed” by the shooting, which occurred during Ramadan, a holy period for Muslims.
“While the motive remains under investigation, we cannot ignore that this occurred during a time of prayer, reflection and peace for Muslims worldwide,” the mayor and council wrote on social media.
“This makes this especially troubling for our community… To our Muslim residents and neighbors: You are valued members of Sandy. We stand with you.”
