Albuquerque, New Mexico – An Afghan refugee has been found guilty of the murder of a Muslim man in New Mexico two years ago, in one of three deadly ambush-style shootings that shook the local community. Muhammad Syed now faces a potential life sentence for the killing of 41-year-old Aftab Hussein on July 26, 2022, with trials pending for the other two victims.
The series of shootings, which claimed the lives of three Muslim men in Albuquerque within a few weeks, caused significant fear and concern among the city’s Muslim population. Syed was reported to have used an AK-47-type rifle to shoot Mr. Hussein from behind a bush, resulting in multiple fatal wounds.
During the trial, evidence including mobile phone data placing Syed near the crime scene at the time of the shooting, as well as ballistics that linked the weapon used to the crime, were presented. Despite the prosecution’s arguments, the defense maintained that there was no concrete proof of Syed firing the weapon and expressed intention to appeal after the pending trials.
While the motive behind Syed’s actions remained unclear, prosecutor David Waymire speculated on the possibility of Syed being a potential serial killer with a motive known only to himself. Syed is also accused of the drive-by shooting murder of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain on August 1, 2022, and the fatal shooting of Naeem Hussain on August 5, 2022, the latter having recently become a US citizen.
Following his arrest on August 9, two days after law enforcement circulated a photo of his vehicle, the legal proceedings against Syed shed light on the tragedy that befell the Muslim community in Albuquerque. With the details of the other shootings yet to be fully uncovered in court, the impact of these crimes on the victims’ families and the wider community remains profound and unsettling.