Hundreds mourn murdered imam and assistant in New York, police question suspect in custody
Investigators said they found a gun and clothes they believe he wore during the attack when his house was searched.
Hundreds of people lined the streets of New York on Monday for the funeral of the imam and assistant who were murdered on Saturday. The police detained a suspect in connection with the case and said during a search at his home, a gun was found, along with clothes they believe he wore during the attack. However, police maintain that there is still not evidence to show the two men were killed because of their faith.
Mayor Bill de Blasio addressed the funeral, promising better police presence across the city as those who attended the last rites demanded justice and asked authorities to protect mosques and Muslim neighbourhoods in New York, Reuters reported. Blasio said the reason for the attack remained unclear but that “an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.”
Fifty-five year old Maulama Akonjee, and Thara Uddin, 64, were shot in the head about two blocks away from a mosque in Ozone Area of New York on Saturday afternoon. The neighbourhood has a predominantly Bangladeshi population. Security officials said the two men were in religious attire when the murder took place and that they were walking home after their midday prayers.