ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque was thrust into the national spotlight nearly two weeks ago when police officials announced a suspected connection in the murders of three Muslim men. A little more than 24 hours after that announcement, a fourth Muslim man was shot to death.
By August 9, a suspect was in custody. Muhammed Syed has been charged with the July 26 murder of Aftab Hussein, 41 and the August 1 murder of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27. Syed is also considered the suspect in the November 2021 murder of Mohammad Zahir Ahmadi and the August 5 murder of Naeem Hussain.
A leader in Albuquerque’s Muslim community, Ahmad Assad is a guest on this week’s episode of KRQE’s New Mexico News Podcast. Assed is the President of the Islamic Center of New Mexico and played a central role in coordinating between the community and investigators while the suspect search played out.
Assed talks more about the victims, his initial theory on what he thought was behind the killings, and the community’s response after the suspect’s arrest. He also shares his thoughts on what he believes will be the lasting impact of this case.
Continuing coverage on KRQE.com:
- August 4: Police: 3 separate murders of Muslim men in Albuquerque could be related
- August 6: Homicide could be connected to other Muslim shootings
- August 7: APD seeks vehicle of interest in homicide investigation
- August 8: Victim’s brother speaks out as police investigate if Muslim murders are connected
- August 8: Muslims fleeing Albuquerque, Afghan community remembers 4th victim
- August 9: Suspect arrested in murders of Albuquerque Muslim men
- August 10: Police search for motive as community grapples with murder of Muslim men
- August 10: Video: Murder suspect appears to slash tires in parking lot of Albuquerque mosque
Download new episodes of the New Mexico News Podcast every Tuesday. Episodes are available on the most popular platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Podbean among others.
To find the show on your favorite podcast player, type “KRQE News” or “New Mexico News Podcast” into the search feature. Use the links above to find the podcast on each respective service, or listen to the audio player below.
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the podcast, let us know! Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com.
