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Imam Killed Outside Newark Mosque was Shot Multiple Times

An Imam from Newark New Jersey’s mosque has fatally succumbed to his wounds after being attacked by a gunman outside his mosque. Law enforcement officials confirmed that the victim is Imam Hassan Sharif, an imam at Masjid Muhammad-Newark for nearly five years. Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephen stated that Sharif was shot multiple times.

The gunman is still at large as police continue to search for him. The shooting occurred at around 6:15 am on Wednesday Jan. 3 at South Orange Avenue and Camden Street, according to the Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement, “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.”

He added that “every possible angle will, of course, be explored and every lead will be fully investigated.”

Imam Sharif used to work as a transportation security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport for years while simultaneously taking care of the mosque. 

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it was “devastated” at the news of Sharif’s killing and described him as “a beacon of leadership and excellence.”

An acquaintance of Sharif, Aneesah Abdullah, told media sources that Sharif was “just a good person overall. I can’t think of anything wrong he’s done to anyone, and that comes from my heart.”

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