Motive Still Under Investigation in Killings of Muslim Men in New Mexico, Police Say

Police in Albuquerque have made an arrest in connection with the recent killings of Muslim men around the city.

PEOPLE confirms that authorities have arrested 51-year-old Muhammad Syed while he was heading east on the interstate towards Texas. He has been charged with two counts of murder, and authorities say that more charges may be pending.

During a Tuesday afternoon press conference, police announced that Syed has been charged in connection with two of the four recent shootings of Muslim men. They said that bullet casings found at the scenes of the two killings he's accused of were fired from the same gun, which was allegedly later found in Syed's possession.

On July 26, 41-year-old Aftab Hussein was ambushed and shot to death. Days later, on August 1, police found the body of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, on a sidewalk. He had also been shot to death. Both men were of Pakistani descent. Police have charged Syed with murder in connection with both shootings.

Authorities are still investigating two other unsolved killings of Muslim men.

The first killing happened on November 7, 2021, when Mohammed Ahmadi, a 62-year-old Muslim man from Afghanistan, was shot and killed outside a business he ran with his brother.

The most recent killing was on Friday, when Naeem Hussain, 25, was found dead by Albuquerque police officers responding to reports of a shooting just before midnight.

Syed has not been charged in the killings of Ahmadi or Naeem Hussain.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by the Albuquerque Journal, police believe that Syed hid behind a bush near the spot where Aftab Hussein usually parked his car, and shot him when he got out of his vehicle. The complaint also says that Muhammad Afzaal Hussain was killed in a drive-by shooting while he was walking near his apartment.

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Authorities are still trying to piece together a motive in the shootings. In Tuesday's press conferences, authorities say that Syed "knew the victims to some extent" and that "an interpersonal conflict may have led to the shootings."

During the press conference, reporters asked Deputy Commander Kyle Hartsock whether the shootings were due to tensions between different sects of Islam. When asked specifically if Syed, a Sunni Muslim, was angry that his daughter married a Shiite Muslim, Hartsock did not respond directly.

"We do have some information about those events taking place," Hartsock told reporters. "But we're not really clear if that was the actual motive or if it was part of the motive, or if there's a bigger picture that we're missing. So what's really important is we're still investigating."

Syed has not entered a plea in the charges against him. He is being held without bond and online records do not reflect an attorney authorized to speak on his behalf.