Police say another Muslim man has been shot and killed in the US state of New Mexico. Authorities said Saturday that they are working to determine if the murders of the four Muslim men connected to the murders of three other Muslim men in the past nine months.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina told reporters that a “young man who is part of the Muslim community was murdered” on Friday.
“These shootings are disturbing,” Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said during a Saturday press conference. “We are putting every possible resource into these investigations.”
He said the murder could be linked to three other Muslim men who were killed in “ambush-style shootings” in the past nine months
While authorities reiterated a request for everyone with information about the killings to contact the police, it was reported that security measures were increased in certain areas of the city where the Muslim community resides.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the country’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, increased a reward to $10,000 from $5,000 for information leading to the suspect or suspects related to the killings.
Albuquerque police official Kyle Hartsock said Thursday that the person or persons who killed Muslims in the last nine months may be the same individual or individuals.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced on Saturday that she will send additional state police to Albuquerque after a Muslim man was killed on Friday. The death is the fourth murder of a Muslim man in Albuquerque in recent months, and police believe they may be connected.
“I am angered and saddened that this is happening in New Mexico, a place that prides itself on diversity of culture and thought. This is not who we are,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “We will not stop in our pursuit of justice for the victims and their families and are bringing every resource to bear to apprehend the killer or killers — and we WILL find them. In addition, we will continue to do everything we can to support to the Muslim community during this difficult time. As Mr. Assed of the Islamic Center of New Mexico said earlier today: hate will not win.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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