HOUSTON — Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said there will be more security around mosques in the city after a string of killings of Muslims in Albuquerque, NM.
Authorities investigating whether the killings of four Muslim men are connected said that they need help finding a vehicle believed to be connected to the deaths.
Albuquerque police said they released photos of the vehicle suspected of being used in the killings, hoping people could help identify the car. Police said the vehicle is a dark gray or silver four-door Volkswagen with dark tinted windows and appears to be a Jetta.
According to CBS, the Albuquerque Police Department created a public portal where anyone can upload any videos or pictures that can lead to answers regarding the string of killings. Police did not confirm if the lead on the vehicle came from the portal. Police did not say where the images were taken or what led them to suspect the car was involved in any of the crimes.
“We have a very, very strong link,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Sunday. “We have a vehicle of interest … We have got to find this vehicle.”
Police are trying to determine if there are any connections between the killings. A Muslim man was killed Friday night in Albuquerque and ambush shootings killed three Muslim men over the past nine months. Their deaths followed the Nov. 2021 killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, a Muslim man of South Asian descent. Ahmadi was killed behind a market and cafe he owned with his brother, CBS news reported. The common elements in all the victims are their race and religion, deputy police commander Kyle Hartsock said.
Police said Saturday that the victim in the latest killing was a Muslim from South Asia who is believed to be in his mid-20s. The man, whose identity hasn’t yet been confirmed by investigators, was found dead after police received a call of a shooting.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Sunday in a tweet that “Houston stands with our Muslim brothers and sisters in Albuquerque and Houston and throughout our country. An attack against one is an attack on us all. I am asking HPD to beef up security around our Mosques.”
Earlier this week, police confirmed that local detectives and federal law enforcement officers were looking for possible ties between the separate crimes.
Two of the men — Muhammed Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41 — were killed in the past week, and both were from Pakistan and members of the same mosque. The third case involves the November killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, a Muslim man of South Asian descent.
Police declined to say whether Friday night's homicide was carried out in a way similar to the other deaths.
Authorities said they can’t say yet if the shootings were hate crimes until they have identified a suspect and can determine a motive.
“We will bring this person or these persons to justice,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Sunday.
President Joe Biden tweeted about the killings Sunday morning.
“I am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque, “Biden tweeted. “While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community. These hateful attacks have no place in America.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also tweeted that she was "deeply disturbed" by the killings and said the White House stands with the Muslim community as police continue their investigation.
"I am deeply disturbed by the killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque," Harris tweeted. "As law enforcement continues to investigate these heinous attacks, we remain clear that we stand with the Muslim community in New Mexico and around our country. Hate has no place in America."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced Saturday a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.