This story has been updated with new developments. A man police in Albuquerque, New Mexico describe as the "primary suspect" in the killings of four Muslim men was charged with two murders Tuesday and authorities believe he will be charged with two more. The suspect was identified as Muhammed Syed, 51, CBS reports. He was charged with killing Aftab Hussein on July 26, and Muhammad Afzaal Hussian on Aug. 1. Police said Syed knew the victims to "some extent" and multiple firearms found at his home included one believed to have been used in both killings, reports KOAT.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina announced the arrest Tuesday, two days after police asked for the public's help in finding a vehicle linked to the four shootings, the Albuquerque Journal reports. "We tracked down the vehicle believed to be involved in a recent murder of a Muslim man in Albuquerque," Medina tweeted. "The driver was detained and he is our primary suspect for the murders." One Muslim man was killed in the city in November and the other three were killed within the space of 10 days. The most recent victim was 25-year-old Naeem Hussain, who was fatally shot Friday night.
The killings stunned and horrified the Muslim community in the state and others nationwide, the
AP reports. The Council on American-Islamic Relations thanked law enforcement for the arrest Tuesday and said the group hopes it "will provide the New Mexico Muslim community some sense of relief and security," per
CBS. "Although we are waiting to learn more about these crimes, we are disturbed by early indications that the alleged killer may have been targeting particular members of the Shia community," the group said in a statement, urging authorities to "file any appropriate hate crime charges against the suspect."
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