Son of slain Newark imam arrested on gun charge
Jan 30, 2024
The killing of a respected imam in Newark may have been the result of a family dispute, law enforcement sources say. News 4’s Jonathan Dienst reports.
The son o
f a Muslim leader who was shot outside his Newark mosque earlier this month has been arrested on a gun violation charge, prosecutors said, though he has not been charged in the killing.
Abdush Sharif, the victim's 36-year-old son, was taken into custody Friday at a house in Newark. Also apprehended at the house: 46-year-old Kevin Rogers and 49-year-old Dashawn Kinchen. All three are accused of violating firearm regulations. It wasn't immediately clear if authorities had other suspects in the killing.
Sharif and Rogers were being held Tuesday at the Essex County Correctional Facility pending detention hearings, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. Kinchen was released on a summons. Information on attorneys for the men weren't immediately available.
Authorities had said they were looking into whether a
relative may be involved. Law enforcement sources previously identified the son as the relative under investigation. They previously said they had no evidence that religious hate motivated the imam's slaying. Essex County prosecutors say their investigation is active and ongoing.
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Essex County Crime Stoppers is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the killing. The Council on American-Islamic Relations and its New Jersey chapter are also offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator.
Imam Hassan Sharif was found dead in his car yesterday morning in Newark after having been shot. Authorities are still searching for a suspect and are offering a $25,000 reward for anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest. Myles Miller is in Newark with the latest.
For nearly two decades, Sharif also worked as a transportation security officer for the Transportation Security Administration at Newark Liberty International Airport, said TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing and send our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues," she said in an emailed statement shortly after his death.
In a video statement posted on its website, the mosque offered prayers and said the community would focus on delivering Sharif his last rights and burial. The statement described Sharif as a brother, friend, father and husband and called on the community to be mindful of the family's grief.
Sharif's death follows other recent killings of religious leaders or at houses of worship that officials said weren't tied to bias.
In Detroit, authorities said there wasn't a "shred of evidence" that the killing of a synagogue leader in her home in October was motivated by antisemitism. In Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, authorities said the death of a man outside a mosque was the result of a carjacking
there thinking his son did it
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