Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Imam shot outside mosque in Newark has died
By
Mike Hayes
and
Arun Venugopal
Published Jan 3, 2024
Modified Jan 3, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Anadolu/Getty Images
By
Mike Hayes
and
Arun Venugopal
Published Jan 3, 2024
Modified Jan 3, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
An imam critically injured in a shooting outside of a Newark mosque early Wednesday morning has died, New Jersey officials said at a late-afternoon press conference.
Imam Hassan Sharif, one of the leaders of the Masjid Muhammad mosque, was shot just ahead of the Fajr prayer, the first of five daily prayers in Islam, according to Muslim leaders.
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said Sharif was shot more than once. No arrest has been made.
Dina Sayedahmed, a spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations' New Jersey chapter, called Sharif “a beacon of leadership in his community."
Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said that at about 6:16 a.m., police responded to a call of a male shot outside Masjid Muhammad mosque at 197 Camden St.
Sharif was taken to Newark’s University Hospital in critical condition and succumbed to his injuries there Wednesday afternoon.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said authorities would search for Sharif’s killer until they are found.
“We don’t yet know all the details, but here is what we do know: Imam Hassan Sharif stood with the people of this city, and we will stand with him and his family,” Baraka said.
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said in a statement authorities currently do not have any information suggesting the shooting was motivated by bias.
“At a time when bias incidents against members of the Muslim community are on the rise, we know that this act of gun violence will heighten fears and concerns in our state,” Platkin said.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement, "My prayers are with Imam Hassan Sharif."
"At a time when the Muslim community is concerned by an increase of bias incidents and crimes, I want to assure the Muslim community and people of all faiths that we will do everything in our power to keep all residents safe, especially in or near our houses of worship," Murphy added.
Stephens said investigators are looking into what video is available in the area.
“Whatever is there, we are trying to utilize,” he said.
Asked during the press conference about reports that Sharif had been attacked before, Stephens said an earlier incident is part of law enforcement’s investigation.
In August, Sharif posted on his Facebook page that as he was getting out of his vehicle outside the mosque somebody came up behind him and “put a gun to [his] head.”
Sharif said in the post that he fought the person off and managed to remove the gun from the man’s hand. He wrote that he tried to fire the weapon but the “gun wouldn’t fire though as he fled.”
Sayedahmed called on mosques to be vigilant.
"As always, and irrespective of this specific incident, we advise all mosques to keep their doors open but remain cautious, especially given the recent spike in anti-Muslim bigotry," she said.
Imam Mustafa El-Amin from Mosque Ibrahim in Newark said, “We are keeping [Sharif] in our prayers … and waiting to see where the investigation leads.”
Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said the Essex County Crime Stoppers program will offer a $25,000 reward to anyone who steps forward with information.
This story has been updated with new information.
Tagged
islam
shooting
mosque
phil murphy
public safety
newark
new jersey
Mike Hayes
Mike Hayes covers equity and access to opportunity in New Jersey. He joined WNYC and Gothamist in 2023. Before that, he worked as a freelance journalist writing about policing and criminal justice. He has written for ProPublica, CNN, HuffPost, BuzzFeed News and The Appeal. He is also the author of the book, “The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and the Broken Promises of Police Reform.” In 2019, he was a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists.
Read more
Arun Venugopal
Arun Venugopal is a senior reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist Race & Justice Unit who focuses on issues of race and bias in our region. His reporting also tackles the topics of immigration, faith, and inequality. Arun serves as the regular fill-in host of the station's "U.S. of Anxiety" program. Arun was the creator and host of Micropolis, a series about race and identity. He is a contributor to NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered. He has appeared on PBS Newshour, On the Media and Studio 360, and has been published in The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and Salon. He also frequently serves as an emcee and moderator of panel discussions on race, religion, and identity issues and has been a guest host of NPR's "Fresh Air." He lives with his family in Queens.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. ET
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
NYC nor’easter dries up after weather service reports minor flooding
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .