An imam is in critical condition after being shot outside a mosque in Newark, New Jersey, on Wednesday morning, Fox News Digital has learned.
The religious leader was struck at the Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque at South Orange Avenue and Camden Street at around 6:15 a.m., according to a spokesperson for the Newark Police Department.
The victim, the imam of Masjid Muhammed, was transported to University Hospital and is in critical condition at the time of this report.
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A helicopter shot of Masjid Muhammad-Newark on Camden Street this morning where an imam was shot. (Fox 5)
RLS Media, citing local sources, reported that the imam was preparing to engage in the Fajr prayer, the first of the five daily prayers in Islam, when the attack occurred.
A shooter approached him and opened fire. It is unclear if anyone was inside the mosque at the time of the shooting.
A motive for the shooting is unknown. It is not known if this was a targeted attack and if there were any prior altercations beforehand.
Fox News reached out to the mosque and the FBI in New Jersey for comment but has not received a response.
The Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque at South Orange Avenue and Camden Street. An imam is in critical condition after being shot outside the mosque on Wednesday morning, Fox News can confirm. (Google Maps)
The incident is being investigated by Newark police.
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The shooting follows the stabbing of the imam of a New Jersey mosque in May as he led his congregation in prayer.
A map pinpoints the Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque at South Orange Avenue and Camden Street in Newark, New Jersey. An imam is in critical condition after being shot outside the mosque Wednesday morning. (Google Maps)