New Jersey imam fatally shot outside mosque as shooter remains at large

Cleric was attacked outside Masjid-Muhammad-Newark on Wednesday morning in Newark

A New Jersey imam was shot and killed on Wednesday outside a mosque in the state’s largest city, authorities said as officers worked to identify and arrest the shooter.

The cleric, Imam Hassan Sharif, was shot after 6am outside the Masjid-Muhammad-Newark mosque, Newark’s public safety director, Fritz Fragé, said in an emailed statement. Sharif was taken to nearby University hospital and was in critical condition, authorities said. He later succumbed to his injuries.

Hours later, police had no one in custody. It is unclear what led to the violence and if the imam was targeted. Fragé said the shooting was under investigation and no other information was available.

A message seeking more information was left with the mosque.

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said it was gathering information and urged people to contact local police.

“We are deeply concerned about this incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the imam,” a Cair-NJ spokesperson, Dina Sayedahmed, said in a statement.

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