Albuquerque mother says Muslim community is ‘terrified’ after four killed in ambushes

A mother in Albuquerque, N.M., on Tuesday said the Muslim community is “terrified” and taking extra precautions, such as avoiding leaving the home late at night, after four Muslims have been shot and killed in ambushes since November.

Samia Assed, who knew two of the men killed, told CNN’s Brianna Keilar that “so many emotions [are] going through the community.”

“We are terrified, angry, upset,” she said. “Just seeing what has happened to our community in respect to these losses has further devastated us.”

On Nov. 7, 2021, Mohammad Ahmadi, a Muslim from Afghanistan, was killed in what police are now investigating as a connected series of brutal slayings. Ahmadi was shot outside a business he ran in the Albuquerque area.

Aftab Hussein was shot and killed on July 26, while Muhammad Afzaal Hussain was murdered on Aug. 1. Another young Muslim man was shot and killed on Friday in a shooting just before midnight.

Police say the murders may be linked to the same suspect, and have set up a tip line through Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers at 505-843-STOP.

Assed, a mother of nine children, told CNN she has implemented a curfew in her household and has changed up daily routines, including where they go in the neighborhood.

She said many people in the community are “afraid to go out” and are choosing to stay inside their homes as the manhunt continues and questions linger about the killings.

“Are we surveilled? Was this somebody within the community? Was this somebody from outside the community?” she said. “Absolutely the first thing that came to our minds is we better watch our footsteps.”

Authorities released photos of a vehicle they said has been used in all four shootings, which they described as a dark gray or silver four-door Volkswagen Jetta. Police are offering a $20,000 reward for information that can lead to an arrest.

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller (D) said police are increasing their presence in the community around mosques and Muslim-affiliated schools.

In a Twitter thread on Sunday, Keller said the “commitment to supporting our Muslim community cannot be broken.”

“We remember each of the victims and the family, friends, and community who knew and loved them,” he wrote. “We are outraged by these attacks and will not relent in our pursuit of justice for those we have lost.”