A 17-year-old teen called Nykerion Nealon has been arrested in connection with the murder of an American Muslim who was shot while taking photos of the snow in Dallas. The police ruled out that the attack was a hate crime, news agencies reported.
According to Dallas police, Nealon shot Ahmed Al-Jumaili, 36.
Police said witnesses saw two men heading in opposite directions walk by and then come back and shoot Al-Jumaili, an Iraqi migrant who was taking photos of the first snow in his life.
Police have charged the teenager with murder, and are investigating whether gang activity was involved.
CCTV footage from a neighbouring school was released days later and showed four people fleeing from the scene on foot. One person was brandishing a rifle.
As the investigations continue, a bias motive has not been ruled out.
The shooting generated concerns in the Dallas Muslim community that Al-Jumaili might have been targeted.
Also the shooting is not the first to target American Muslims as Last month, three young American Muslims, Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23 his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21 and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, were found dead at a condominium complex off campus in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in February.
An Economist /YouGov poll found that a large majority of Americans believe that US Muslims are victims of discrimination amid recent attacks against the community.
source : abna
