Suspect Arrested in Killing of Four Muslim Men

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A suspect has been arrested in the killing of four Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Police announced Tuesday that they have arrested a “primary suspect” in the murder of four Muslim men after tracking down the vehicle believed to be involved in the most recent murder.

Albuquerque Chief of Police Harold Medina announced on Twitter that the primary suspect had been detained and more information would be released later Tuesday.

We tracked down the vehicle believed to be involved in a recent murder of a Muslim man in Albuquerque. The driver was detained and he is our primary suspect for the murders. We will update the media later this afternoon.

— APD Chief of Police (@ABQPoliceChief) August 9, 2022

The most recent killing happened early Saturday morning just after midnight. The common theme amongst the victims has been their race and religion.

Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, was from Afghanistan and was killed in November.

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41, were both from Pakistan and members of the same mosque.

Naeem Hussain, 25, the most recent victim, was also from Pakistan.

Suspect of Muslim men killings in custody

The killings sparked a fear amongst the Islamic community across the nation, and even caught the attention of President Biden.

“These hateful attacks have no place in America,” Biden said.

I am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque. 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.

— President Biden (@POTUS) August 7, 2022

The Albuquerque Police Department, FBI, and both the district and U.S. attorneys all spoke out against these murders Saturday. They not only called for more information but also urged members of Albuquerque’s Muslim community to stay vigilant and to be extra cautious in the coming days.

APD says they believe the killings of the Muslim men are connected, but it is still early in their investigation.

“I think it is too early to comment on that or classify it with a term like that right now. This is an alarming death that connects to the others as far as we can tell, so we will focus on that and focus together with our federal partners,” replied APD Public Information Officer Gilbert Gallegos.