As Muslims began their Ramadan fasts on Monday, Muhammad Syed — an Afghan refugee who came to Albuquerque in 2016 — prepared to face a jury on one count of murder in the 2022 slaying of a fellow Muslim, Aftab Hussein.
It is the first of three trials in a case that shook Albuquerque’s Muslim community.
Syed is also charged with murder in the death of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and in the death of Naeem Hussein, 25. Those trials will be held next. When charges were filed police said they were also investigating the fatal shooting of Mohammad Zahir Ahmadi, 62, the previous year.
But the lack of a clear motive has troubled many as well — including the brother of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, who was killed days after Aftab Hussein, 41.
“It was a community event. You didn’t know what had happened during this time because one murder happened and after five days another happened and after five days…” said Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain, trailing off.
During that time, Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain said there was a lot of speculation among the community because many of them had the same last name and were about the same age.
After Syed was arrested, Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain said his family pushed the police to let them know more about the investigation. He said he took his dad to the governor’s house and to meet the mayor and the Pakistani ambassador came to visit the community. He said they all told his family that the evidence showed Syed was responsible.
“Losing a brother is one thing, but losing a brother to blind murder, and we don’t know why he did that,” he said.
- Nov. 7, 2021: Mohammad Zahir Ahmadi was killed outside the shop he owned with his brother.
- July 26, 2022: Aftab Hussein was killed in the parking lot of the apartment complex where he lived.
- Aug. 1, 2022: Muhammad Afzaal Hussein was killed outside the apartment he shared with his brother.
- Aug. 5, 2022: Naeem Hussein was killed outside Lutheran Family Services.
A community desperate for answers
Mazin Kadhim was the refugee resettlement case manager for Syed, Naeem Hussain, and Aftab Hussein at Lutheran Social Services. He told City Desk ABQ that August 2022 was a scary time for the community.
“It came from nowhere because here in Albuquerque, everybody feels safe. I’m talking about minorities — communities like mine. We feel safe, feel welcome,” Kadhim said. “All of a sudden there are some really young and nice people getting killed in the parking lot.”
He said some families were so scared that they packed everything up in their minivans and fled from the state.
Situations like these are hard, Kadhim said, because these families go through difficult times before they reach the United States. It brings up bad memories.
“You feel like you’re in trouble again and you have to run for your life,” he said.
And then, when Syed was arrested and people found out he was from within the Muslim community, Kadhim said there was a lot of anger.
“He’s from the community. The community helped him so many times. It just doesn’t make any sense. Like why you get all the way to killing people,” he said.
If there were issues or disagreements, Kadhim said the community could have worked to fix the issues.
“Those people are nice and they’re young. They’re looking for a future, they’re trying to build something. It’s just like you took the best, basically,” he said.
Because Kadhim knew two of the victims and also Syed personally, he said the situation was shocking to him and it took him a long time to move past it. He couldn’t stop thinking about them.
Kadhim said every time there’s a community event, there’s an empty place left where Aftab Hussein, Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, and Naeem Hussain used to be.
“But then you know this is like, we have seen worse overseas, and unfortunately, it’s happening here again in the U.S,” he added.
Ready to move on
At the time of the slayings, Tahir Guaba was the public relations specialist for the mosque. He said some people in the community thought these killings were targeting Muslims, but he said board members never believed that and waited to make an official statement about the killings until there was an arrest.
When Syed was arrested, Guaba said there was a sense of relief because he was now behind bars.
Though no motive has been released, Guaba said that community members thought it happened because Syed’s daughter — who is Sunni — married a Shia man and Syed was against the marriage.
“I don’t know the fact, but that’s what I’ve heard a lot. A lot of people have said this is a true story,” Guaba said. “That his daughter got married without the approval of her dad, and the guy friends who were murdered helped them. They helped them run away from the home and get married.”
Whatever the outcome of the trials is, Guaba said he thinks the community will be happy to move on from this chapter.
Aftab Hussein was killed instantly
Tuesday morning, sitting in court, Syed, 53, pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket as his attorney Thomas Clark told the jury that there was no solid evidence linking Syed to the slayings. He said they’ll be asked by the state to speculate on several theories about the killing.
“Even though the government has tremendous resources available, you’re not going to hear one shred of evidence that actually puts the rifle in the hands of Muhammad Syed,” he said.
Pulling out a black AK-47, prosecuting attorney David Waymire outlined to the jury the moments leading up to the death of Hussein.
Syed, Waymire said, hid near a wall and a bush on Rhode Island Avenue for Hussein and then ambushed him.
“He shot Aftab Hussein at least nine times and fired at least nine shots,” he said. “We know that because there were nine spent casings found right there by that wall in that bush area.”
As a result of the shooting, Hussein’s body was left riddled with bullets. He was still holding his car’s key FOB when he died.
“As high up as his neck, throughout his abdomen, his chest area, all the way down into his legs, and apparently, even hit as he was on the ground because of the trajectories of some of the bullets actually exiting out along his feet,” Waymire told the court. “He was on the ground and more shots are still being fired.”
Bullets from the shooting also hit the car Hussein was standing next to and another vehicle that was parked nearby, and the AK-47 present in the courtroom was found in Syed’s house.
“Mr. Hussein was killed nearly instantly,” Waymire said.