An imam shot multiple times by a gunman outside a mosque in Newark, New Jersey - near New York - has died from his wounds, state officials said later on Wednesday, dismissing initial suspicions of a racially motivated crime.
The motive for the crime was still under investigation, but New Jersey’s Attorney-General, Matthew Platkin, said at a press conference that there was no indication that the shooter was motivated by hate or ideology. He also said the shooter had a history of mental illness and had legally purchased the firearm used in the attack.
Imam Hassan Sharif, a prominent figure in Newark, was struck by several bullets fired on the street at dawn on Wednesday, and died in hospital that afternoon, Ted Stephens, assistant prosecutor of Essex County - which includes Newark - confirmed.
Stephens, too, ruled out suggestions of “terrorism” referencing shootings by white supremacists.
News of the victim’s death was first reported by CNN, citing a police source.
Hassan Sharif was a security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport since 2006, a spokesperson for the American Transportation Security Agency (TSA) said in an email message.
Reacting to the news of his death, the New Jersey branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called for a gathering at the Newark mosque on Wednesday evening.
