Police in New Mexico are investigating whether a serial killer is targeting Muslims after the murder of four Muslim men in the state in the past 10 months.
In the latest killing, an unnamed Muslim man was murdered on Friday night, the New York Post reported. The death followed the murder of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, who was shot on August 1. The two killings came after the murders of Aftab Hussein on July 26 and Mohammad Ahmadi in November 2021.
According to the Pew Research Center, fewer than one percent of New Mexico’s two million residents are Muslim.
Both Hussain and Hussein were of Pakistani background and attended the same mosque, the New York Times reported.
Law enforcement in New Mexico are looking into the possibility that a serial killer is targeting Muslims in Albuquerque, where the murders took place.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said on Twitter on Saturday that she was ordering extra state police to work on the investigation, which she described as “targeted killings.”
“The targeted killings of Muslim residents of Albuquerque is deeply angering and wholly intolerable,” she said. “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.”
She added: “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.”
There has been no official statement on whether police have any leads in the investigation, or confirming if the deaths are linked.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden said on Twitter: “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.”
Ahmad Assed, leader of the Islamic Center of New Mexico, told the New York Times that the Muslim community in the state is “incredibly sickened” by the murders.
“We’re scared for our families, we’re scared for our children. And we are incredibly confused about why this is happening,” he said.