In their motion, prosecutors pointed to cellphone records that they say show Syed possibly helped his father track Naeem Hussain, a 25-year-old man from Pakistan who was fatally shot on Aug. 5 in the parking lot of a refugee resettlement agency in southeast Albuquerque. WebOn Tuesday, Albuquerque police announced that they had arrested a suspect in the recent murders of three South Asian Muslim men, which may be connected to another killing last year. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. In fact, the Albuquerque Police Department counted 10 more homicides than in 2021, the previous record-setting year. Story tips can be sent to stephanie.pagones@fox.com and on Twitter: @steph_pagones. While the killings were initially believed to be the work of a serial killer, the involvement of a sex ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) A 14-year-old New Mexico boy accused of shooting and killing a classmate in 2021 has pleaded no contest to a charge of second-degree murder, prosecutors said Thursday. 2023 The City of Albuquerque. And in Albuquerque, it has always been a huge obstacle.. Theyre up to 16 detectives and two sergeants, a number Liz Thomson says is a reasonable amount to handle Albuquerques homicide caseload. (Credit: Albuquerque Police Department). Albuquerque Police Deputy Commander Kyle Hartsock said at the time that "the motives are still being explored fully to understand what they are.". In 2019, there were only 22 homicides by April 18. Market data provided by Factset. Police believe three recent murders and a murder that happened on Nov. 7, 2021, could be potentially connected. All rights reserved. He had just attended the funerals for the two other recent victims. But it is important to note that the numbers in this report differ slightly from the numbers published in the FBI reports. An Imam leads a group of men during the Dhuhr afternoon prayer at the Islamic Center of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022, after the fourth Muslim man was murdered in the city. Albuquerque is just known for abandoned cars, abandoned property.. The middle school shooting spurred legislation that ended up stalling during last years session. FILE - This Aug. 9, 2020, still image taken from officer video provided by the Albuquerque Police Department shows the arrest of Muhammad Syed. (U.S. District Court), A reporter asked at a press conference earlier this month if Syed, a Sunni Muslim, could have been driven by anger that his daughter married a Shiite Muslim. We tripled the number of homicide detectives, and we invested $80 million in crime-fighting technology, he said. A ShotSpotter activation showed 13 gunshots were fired, following by additional rounds, in the area of 417 Rhode Island Street, police documents show. (Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP). The FBI is assisting in the murder investigations. His attorney had raised issues of the boys competency early on, saying the teen needed counseling and treatment for mental health issues. Albuquerque recorded 76 murders in 2020, four fewer than in 2019. or redistributed. Some worked to bring attention to gun violence through a national memorial effort in the fall. All Rights Reserved. The first incident was reported on Nov. 7, 2021, when 62-year-old Mohammad Ahmadi was discovered shot and killed in the rear parking lot of a halal caf he owned with his brother on San Mateo Boulevard, according to city officials and local affiliate KRQE-TV. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. spoke about why on KRQE News 13s podcast, Rio Bravo Park cleanup will take longer than expected, Gun safety bill passes Senate, faces one more hurdle, Restaurants still struggling to recover from COVID, Roswell PD: Woman steals, drives wrong-way to get, State basketball tournament: Girls first round recap, BCSO: Kids were living in dirty home containing drugs, Local casino hosts National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show, UNM police arrest man for giving false ID, fleeing, Man connected to political shootings to stay behind, Case dismissed for teen accused of taking gun to, Roswell man arrested in shooting of NMSP officers, Rust asst. The contents of any site or link not maintained by the City does not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of the City of Albuquerque, its officials, agents or employees. With the help of an interpreter, he "denied having any involvement in the murders in this case," thecriminal complaint alleges. On Aug. 1, the third victim, local city planner Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, was gunned down in the area of Cornell Drive Southeast and Garfield Avenue Southeast, police said. Several months before that, on Nov. 7, 2021, 62-year-old Mohammad Ahmadi was discovered shot and killed in the rear parking lot of a halal caf he owned with his brother on San Mateo Boulevard, according to city officials and local affiliate KRQE-TV. Young people are getting together usually through social media to sell a small amount of drugs or guns, Gallegos says, and they meet up somewhere and the one party robs the other party and then it turns into a shooting or homicide. Not all of Albuquerques homicides start this way, but recently APD has seen more of these kinds of homicides, Gallegos says. Neighbors say Jurisson was housesitting when someone confronted him in the driveway in what may have been an attempted carjacking. Court documents state that two guns purchased by Syed and his father at an Albuquerque gun store in July had been partially painted white. Prosecutors also presented prior police reports of Shaheen Syed allegedly beating his father and sister and an unrelated incident in which he and his brother were allegedly involved in a shooting outside a Walmart. All rights reserved. , VIDEO: Giant I-40 light poles sway in strong ABQ, Taxidermy birds used to make drones at New Mexico, PHOTOS: Storm leaves parts of state covered in snow, PHOTOS: Winter storm moves through NM leaving snow, PHOTOS: Storm causes snowy, icy roads across New, Map: New Mexico Veterans Monuments and Memorials, 13 Broadcast Pl SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Naeem Hussain, a Muslim man from Pakistan, was discovered fatally woundedin the area of Truman Street and Grand Avenue just before midnight on Friday, police said. But Albuquerques increase is above average according to data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association. There is one thing that certainly stands in the way of reducing Albuquerques violent crime, says Liz Thomson: In regards to reducing violent crime, investigating and solving violent crime, the blame game is the worst thing, she says. Across the country, many police departments are reporting an increase in homicides. Yet, I can pretty honestly say that I believe Chase Smotherman would have become violent if they had stolen his garden tools.. Market data provided by Factset. All but three of the 2021 killings are being investigated by Albuquerque police, the Albuquerque Journal reported. ALBUQUERQUE POLICE REQUEST ASSISTANCE IN IDENTIFYING VEHICLE OF INTEREST IN MURDERS OF FOUR MUSLIM MEN. A grand jury indicted him Friday on three counts of first-degree murder and four counts of tampering with evidence. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Olympic ticket sales for Paris Games gets off to, 7 Cubs pitchers combine for no-hitter vs Machado,, Mikal Bridges helps Nets rally to stun Celtics, 115-105, NASCAR star Elliott has leg surgery after snowboard, U.S. jury poised to weigh international soccers, Candlelight vigil to bring attention to homicide, APD begins new initiative to tackle violent crime, New Albuquerque coffee shop suffers from back-to-back, Albuquerque has had a problem with unsightly property, recently focusing on a Montgomery neighborhood, force-policy reforms, community oversight, and additional training requirements, Rio Bravo Park cleanup will take longer than expected, Gun safety bill passes Senate, faces one more hurdle, Restaurants still struggling to recover from COVID, Roswell PD: Woman steals, drives wrong-way to get, State basketball tournament: Girls first round recap, BCSO: Kids were living in dirty home containing drugs, Local casino hosts National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show, UNM police arrest man for giving false ID, fleeing, More from KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos, Man connected to political shootings to stay behind, Safety improvements proposed for Nob Hill corridor, NM businesses are feeling impact of Pion shortage, CDC: Baby death linked to contaminated breast pump, Whats happening around New Mexico Mar. View Albuquerque crime mapping information. Albuquerque Homicides: Why are there so many? The data in citywide crime statistics report is based on the official data that APD sends to the FBI. This is a nationwide trend. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal via AP). KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Shaheen Syed, 21, appeared in U.S. district court in Albuquerque on Monday, with the judge granting a motion by federal prosecutors to keep him behind bars pending the ongoing investigation into the deaths of four Muslim victims dating back to November 2021. Medina, the Albuquerque police chief, said he believes the pandemic also is to blame for nationwide spikes in homicides, suicides, drug overdoses and traffic crashes. Still, Medina is hopeful. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. In the first three quarters of 2021, Albuquerque had 111 violent crimes per 10,000 people, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The City assumes no responsibility for the content of the material contained at that site or for the accuracy of any information that is found there. Homicides are generally concentrated in communities that have chronically high levels of firearm violence, disparities, racial and ethnic disparities, segregation, underemployment, [and] poverty, says Christopher Lyons, a professor of sociology at the University of New Mexico. Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murder Thursday in the Syed's son, 21-year-old Shaheen Syed, is also behind bars for allegedly providing a false address when he purchased a gun in June 2021. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Olympic ticket sales for Paris Games gets off to, 7 Cubs pitchers combine for no-hitter vs Machado,, Mikal Bridges helps Nets rally to stun Celtics, 115-105, NASCAR star Elliott has leg surgery after snowboard, U.S. jury poised to weigh international soccers, APD remains tight-lipped on weekend homicide in Nob Hill, found in the street with two gunshot wounds near Girard and Garfield on Sunday, housesitting when someone confronted him in the driveway, Rio Bravo Park cleanup will take longer than expected, Gun safety bill passes Senate, faces one more hurdle, Restaurants still struggling to recover from COVID, Roswell PD: Woman steals, drives wrong-way to get, State basketball tournament: Girls first round recap, BCSO: Kids were living in dirty home containing drugs, Local casino hosts National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show, UNM police arrest man for giving false ID, fleeing, More from KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos, Man connected to political shootings to stay behind, Safety improvements proposed for Nob Hill corridor, NM businesses are feeling impact of Pion shortage, CDC: Baby death linked to contaminated breast pump, Whats happening around New Mexico Mar. Just having a police car patrolling in a neighborhood on a regular basis acts as a deterrent, he says. Story tips and ideas can be sent to Paul.Best@fox.com and on Twitter: @KincaidBest. Early in the year, Albuquerque This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. That puts Albuquerque in the top 10 most violent cities with populations of over 100,000 people. Additionally, APD has added new detectives to the homicide unit. Homicide List as of 17 May 2021. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, John Anderson, Shaheen Syeds attorneysaid in court filings that the allegations against his client were "thin and speculative.". The official website for the City of Albuquerque. He said public behavior has changed dramatically in the last two years. As of April 18, 2021, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) recorded 35 homicides across the city. ALBUQUERQUE POLICE RELEASE BODY CAM VIDEO OF MAN SUSPECTED OF MURDERING MUSLIM MEN BEING ARRESTED, And before then, 41-year-old Aftab Hussein was fatally wounded on July 26, 2022. director wont appear in Santa Fe for, Hobbs woman sentenced for stealing car with kids, New Mexico man accused of sex crime against student, Elderly man who killed sister takes plea deal, Data shows shootings, other reports at Adam Food, ABQ man arrested after a fight broke out at Main, FBI finds guns in felons Albuquerque home, Suspect charged in murder of 15-yr-old Gallup boy, ABQ man takes plea deal for road rage incident, More from KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos, Safety improvements proposed for Nob Hill corridor, NM businesses are feeling impact of Pion shortage, CDC: Baby death linked to contaminated breast pump, Whats happening around New Mexico Mar. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Altaf Hussain cries over the grave of his brother Aftab Hussein at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. FILE - This Aug. 9, 2020, still image taken from officer video provided by the Albuquerque Police Department shows the arrest of Muhammad Syed. The sooner people recognize that there is not one circumstance that is causing this, the better, Huffmyer says. Police in New Mexico are stepping up security at Albuquerque-area mosques and Muslim community schools as investigators hunt for the suspect who gunned down four Muslim men over the past nine months. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The average police department saw a 7% rise in homicides, the data shows. So ultimately, there are no easy answers to explain why New Mexico is such a violent place. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) A 14-year-old New Mexico boy accused of shooting and killing a classmate in 2021 has pleaded no contest to a charge of second-degree murder, prosecutors said Thursday. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) New Mexicos largest city recorded 117 killings in 2021, shattering its previous homicide record by 46%. But this year also brought homicides at hotels near Los Altos neighborhood near Lomas and Wyoming, a few on the West Side, and a couple of homicides near the Heights. Albuquerque police release body camera video of murder suspect being arrested. (Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP). But Gallegos says that while public distrust of APD certainly exists, it isnt a big hinderance to APDs ability to investigate violent crime. ALBUQUERQUE MURDER SUSPECT SAID HE WAS GOING TO TEXAS TO FIND NEW HOME, REFERENCED 'SHOOTING OF MUSLIMS': COPS. Albuquerques geographic location, with a north-south-running freeway and ease of access to the border makes this a thoroughfare and hub for a variety of interstate criminal activity, he says. 2023 The City of Albuquerque. (Albuquerque Police Department via AP, File). (City of Espaola via AP, File). So far this year, there has been an uptick in the number of homicides at motels and hotels. Fox News's Stephanie Pagones contributed to this report. Albuquerque Community Connect Camera Registry and Integration. Interactive Slider: Over the last few years, homicides (orange markers) have been focused around downtown Albuquerque and Central Ave. And the triple-digit count sets a never-before-seen record. But there seems to be more to the violence than just illegal drugs. Detectives on Thursday determined there is a connection between the Aug. 1, 2022, murder of Muhammed Afzaal Hussain, 27, and the July 26, 2022, murder of Aftab Authorities have yet to confirm that information. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Both were also Muslim and from Pakistan. But, there are mixed feelings on the effectiveness of simply increasing police presence in troubled areas. Four men in total all Muslims from South Asia were ambushed, shot, and killed in Albuquerque since November 2021. Yes, we have gangs. Investigators said they think those three murders happened in Grants, and Lannon is accused of killing a fourth man in Albuquerque. Four Muslim men murdered in New Mexico, FBI called in for support. The contents of any site or link not maintained by the City does not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of the City of Albuquerque, its officials, agents or employees. Just days after the most recent murder of a Muslim man rocked a community already on edge, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said the City is extending its police efforts beyond the investigation into the slayings and person or people behind them. 3 Mar. There, officers discovered Aftab Hussein "lying next to a silver Hyundai sedan at" nearby, with multiple apparent gunshot wounds. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Although the FBI updates its data bases regularly it does not update published reports. Albuquerque police say the first homicide happened on Nov. 7, 2021. Hartsock also notes that the department instituted regular check-ins on open murder cases to help come up with new ideas into investigations. Stephanie Pagones is a Digital Reporter for FOX Business and Fox News. Aftab Hussein, 41, was shot and killed on July 26 after parking his car near his home. In December of last year, Kyle Hartsock, the deputy commander overseeing the departments Criminal Investigations Division spoke about why on KRQE News 13s podcast. SON OF AFGHAN ALLEGED GUNMAN IN The four menall Muslimand from South Asia were ambushed, shot, and killed in Albuquerque since November 2021. This change is important because NIBRS provides more comprehensive and detailed information about crimes against person, crimes against property and crimes against society occurring in law enforcement jurisdictions across the country. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The record was broken that year and again in 2022. The August attack left New Mexicos largest school district reeling and marked the second shooting in Albuquerque in less than 24 hours. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Police said the victim 13-year-old Bennie Hargrove was trying to protect another boy who was being bullied. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Theres a lot of evidence out there that the environment and what it says has a lot to do with crime, she says. Data from APD. There is no doubt that we face a tough road ahead. A 14-year-old New Mexico boy accused of shooting and killing a classmate in 2021 has pleaded no contest to a charge of second-degree murder, prosecutors said Thursday, March 2, 2023. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Market data provided by Factset. And before then, 41-year-old Aftab Hussein was fatally wounded on July 26, 2022. You start to look deeper and you realize: Is it really the drugs? Altaf Hussain cries over the grave of his brother Aftab Hussein at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. What can be done in the meantime is increase police patrols in those areas. In 2018, the Albuquerque Police Department began reporting crime statistics using the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Albuquerque police and the FBI are investigating three recent murders of Muslim men for possible ties to the same offender, according to Albuquerque police. But the deputy commander speculated that there are many factors possibly contributing: A larger number of guns on the street, lingering effects of the pandemic, and the ease of finding victims on social media, among others. Why is violent crime going up in Albuquerque? Muhammad Syed is scheduled to appear before a state district judge Wednesday as prosecutors seek to have him detained without bond pending trial on the two counts of murder. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. ALBUQUERQUE MURDER SUSPECT TRIES TO SPEAK IN COURT; FAMILY REPORTEDLY SAYS HE WAS HOME AT TIME OF SLAYINGS. Neighboring states, such as Arizona and Texas, have seen an estimated five to six homicides per 100,000 people each year. By August, Albuquerque had already equaled its record for homicides with 81, set in 2019. For non-emergency police calls, call 505-242-COPS. The APDs crime data system is dynamic and additional information may be added or refined after the data are sent to the FBI. A funeral service was held for Aftab Hussein, 41, and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, at the Islamic Center of New Mexico on Friday. This link will take you to a site over which the City of Albuquerque has no control. The bill narrowly passed the House and is poised to be considered by the full Senate. ALBUQUERQUE POLICE, FBI INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN FOUR MURDERED MUSLIM MEN. An Afghan refugee who was already facing two murder charges for the recent slayings of two Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was indicted on a third count Friday for allegedly killing another man who had just attended funeral services for the other two victims on Aug. 5. Casings found at one of the crime scenes also matched a handgun found in the elder Syed's vehicle when he was taken into custody, according to a criminal complaint. "The evidence that agents have been able to gather thus far in this rapidly unfolding investigation is obviously alarming with respect to the defendants short and frequent communications with his father both before and after the murder of Naeem Hussain," the motion stated. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.