NEWARK, NJ – On Wednesday morning, Imam Hassan Sharif was fatally wounded in a shooting outside Masjid Muhammad, a mosque in Newark, New Jersey. Sharif was rushed to University Hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.
According to Fritz Fragé, Newark’s Public Safety Director, the shooting event occurred shortly after 6 a.m. Law enforcement sources reported that upon arriving on the scene, police found Sharif in the mosque’s parking lot just 10 feet from the entrance, bearing bullet wounds in his abdomen and left arm.
Investigators are presently examining the security cameras and city-owned street cams, aiming to identify the perpetrator. Although some cameras weren’t operational, the detectives seem to have uncovered a potential lead. They may have pinpointed a suspicious figure entering the parking lot before running off, a law enforcement source stated. Bullet casings collected at the scene are also under analysis.
Sharif was a prominent figure in Newark, often seen with city leaders and delivering prayers at council meetings. The mosque he led has been part of Newark’s landscape ever since the earliest days of the Nation of Islam’s presence in the region.
As of this time, investigators have not identified a motive for the shooting. Both the Essex County prosecutor and city officials have clarified that current evidence does not indicate that the crime was motivated by bias, hate, or domestic terrorism.
Imam Hassan Sharif had a long-standing career as a transportation security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport since 2006. The airport, in a statement, expressed its deep sadness over his passing and sent condolences to his loved ones and colleagues.
The investigation into the shooting is being jointly handled by the Newark police and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.