(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.) — The fourth Muslim man killed in a possible string of murders in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been identified as a 25-year-old native of Pakistan, according to police.
Naeem Hussain was found dead from a gunshot wound on Friday near Truman Street and Grand Avenue in Albuquerque’s Highland Business neighborhood, according to the Albuquerque Police Department.
Police are investigating whether the killing is connected to the shooting death of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, on Aug. 1, as well as the murder of Aftab Hussein, 41, on July 26 — both of whom are also from Pakistan.
The November 2021 murder of Mohammad Ahmadi, another Muslim man from Afghanistan who was killed outside a business he ran with his brother, could be connected, as well, police said.
A dark gray or silver Volkswagen with four doors and tinted windows is suspected of being used in the recent homicides. There is a possibility that the model of the car is a Jetta, police said.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has sent additional state police to provide support to the Albuquerque Police Department and FBI, she announced on Saturday.
“I am angered and saddened that this is happening in New Mexico, a place that prides itself on diversity of culture and thought,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement after Hussain’s death was announced. “This is not who we are.”
The community has “never gone through anything like this before,” Ahmad Assed, president of the Islamic Center of New Mexico, said during a press conference Saturday, ABC Albuquerque affiliate KOAT reported.
“This is really a surreal time for us. We’re in fear of the safety of our children, our families,” Assed said.
ABC News’ Patricio Chile and Christopher Looft contributed to this report.
(BOSTON) — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu extended the city’s heat emergency through Tuesday as Bostonians deal with a marathon of at least 95-degree days.
“With the weather forecast now showing the high temperatures and humidity lasting through Tuesday, we’re extending the heat emergency to make sure all of our Boston residents and families are safe,” Wu said in a statement.
Boston set a new record on Monday, reaching 98 degrees, surpassing a previous high of 96 degrees from 1983, the National Weather Service tweeted.
The city has reached a high temperature of at least 95 degrees for five days straight, according to NWS Boston.
The majority of Massachusetts is under a heat advisory until 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Approximately 16 cooling centers will be open to Bostonians looking to stay cool through Tuesday, the mayor’s office said in a news release.
Residents will have some reprieve on Wednesday when temperatures are expected to drop to 76 degrees, the NWS said.
Millions of people in the Northeast experienced high temperatures over the weekend, as temperatures in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Hartford, Connecticut, were in the 90s, according to AccuWeather.
Officials said that two heat deaths had been reported in the Northeast over the last two weeks, one in New York City and one in Philadelphia. Authorities have warned residents of the danger of more fatalities.
For more information on staying safe in the heat, click here.
ABC News’ Kyla Guilfoil and Max Golembo contributed to this report.
(ATLANTA) — Brianna Grier, the Georgia woman who died after falling out of a police car last month, died from a severe blunt force injury to the head, according to the preliminary findings of an independent autopsy ordered by her family.
“In this case, the cause of death is consistent with the severe blunt force injury that occurred inside of the head,” Dr. Allecia Wilson, a pathologist and the director of autopsy and forensic services at the University of Michigan, said at a press conference Monday to announce the findings.
Grier’s medical records from Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta showed she had two fractures, hemorrhaging and a subdural hematoma after falling out of a moving police car while handcuffed on July 15, according to Wilson.
The 28-year-old mother of two was arrested by Hancock County Sheriff’s Office deputies Lt. Marlin Primus and Timothy Legette on July 15 after Grier’s mother called 911 to report that her daughter was experiencing a mental health crisis. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Grier fell out of the car’s rear passenger door after it was not closed prior to transporting her to the sheriff’s office. She had been handcuffed in front of her body and was not wearing a seatbelt.
The results of an official autopsy being conducted as part of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s review of Grier’s death are still pending.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation told ABC News it did not have any investigation updates or comments to share at this time.
Body camera footage released in late July showed that the deputy thought he had closed the door, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The 10-minute clip shows officers struggling to get Grier into the backseat of the police car, but does not show how she ended up falling out of the vehicle.
“To put a handcuffed person in the back of a police car unrestrained … you can use your own common sense as to what likely happened, especially when we look at the pathology from the MRI reports about the violent trauma — the severe trauma and severe blunt force trauma — that caused her to be knocked into a coma and to succumb six days later,” attorney Ben Crump said Monday.
“So we continue to demand answers for this young Black mother who was experiencing a mental health crisis. She hadn’t committed a crime. She deserved to be protected like somebody worthy to protect and serve,” Crump added.
The body camera footage showed one deputy approach Grier as she lies in the road after falling out of the vehicle while saying, “How is your back door open?” to the other deputy.
Grier’s mourning parents spoke at the press conference asking for transparency and answers for their grandchildren, 3-year-old twins Maria and Mariah. They said they still haven’t been able to explain the tragedy to them.
“That’s why we’re here. We’re trying to get answers so we can finally tell them what’s going on and what’s happened to their mama,” Brianna’s father, Marvin Grier, said.
“I just want justice for what happened to my daughter Brianna Grier,” Mary Grier added, saying that she doesn’t want this to happen to any other mother.
Grier’s funeral is set to take place Thursday at West Hunter Baptist Church in Atlanta.
(ATLANTA) — The father and son convicted of federal hate crimes in the death of Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced Monday to life in prison.
Gregory McMichael, 66, chased 25-year-old Arbery on Feb. 23, 2020, with his son, Travis McMichael, 36, who fired the fatal shot.
The McMichaels’ neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, who joined the chase and recorded video and was also convicted of federal hate crimes, was sentenced Monday to 35 years.
“I would like to say to Mr. Ahmaud Arbery’s family and friends how sorry I am for what happened to him on that day,” Bryan said in court, according to WSB radio. “I never intended any harm to him, and never would’ve played any role if I knew then what I know now.”
Arbery’s father, Marcus Arbery, told reporters after the sentencing, “When you get caught up and it’s looking bad for you, that’s when you’re trying to apologize? That’s a long time.”
“He should’ve did it day one,” he said. “‘Cause Ahmaud was lying on the ground dying and he didn’t do nothing to help him.”
Gregory McMichael said in court to the Arbery family, “I’m sure my words mean very little to you but I want to assure you I never wanted any of this to happen.”
“There was no malice in my heart or my son’s heart that day,” he said.
Travis McMichael did not make a statement.
Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, told reporters outside the Brunswick, Georgia, courthouse, “I feel every shot every day that I wake up.”
All three men are already serving life in prison for Arbery’s killing after being found guilty of murder in a Georgia state court last fall. The McMichaels were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole while Bryan was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.
The three white men were convicted in the federal case in February by a jury who decided that they followed and killed Arbery because he was Black.
After deliberating for less than four hours, the federal jury convicted all three men of being motivated by racial hate in interference of Arbery’s civil rights and attempted kidnapping. Travis McMichael and his father were also convicted of carrying and brandishing a weapon during the commission of a crime of violence. Travis McMichael was also found guilty of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
The McMichaels chased Arbery in their pickup truck after they saw him jogging in their neighborhood, falsely believing he had been responsible for several break-ins in coastal Georgia’s Satilla Shores neighborhood. Bryan joined the chase in his own truck, blocking Arbery from escaping, and recorded cellphone footage of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery with a shotgun after a brief struggle.
During the trial, prosecutors released text messages and social media posts in which Travis McMichael and Bryan repeatedly used racist slurs. Witnesses also testified to hearing both McMichaels make racist comments.
(NEW YORK) — The family of Gabby Petito announced Monday that they plan to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the police department in Moab, Utah, where Petito and her boyfriend Brian Laundrie were questioned last year about a possible domestic dispute.
Shortly after Petito and Laundrie were questioned by police on Aug. 12, 2021, Petito, 22, went missing.
Petito’s body was discovered last September in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. Laundrie, who was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port, Florida, wrote in a notebook that he killed her, according to the FBI.
In a press release announcing the lawsuit, an attorney for the Petito family, Brian Stewart, said officers from the Moab City Police Department “failed to properly investigate the reported domestic assault, and thus failed to fully appreciate or respond to Gabby’s life-threatening situation.”
“While the full evidence has not yet been made public, when it is released, it will clearly show that if the officers had been properly trained and followed the law, Gabby would still be alive today,” James McConkie, another of the family’s attorneys, said in the press release. “Failure to follow the law can have deadly consequences, as it did in this case.”
In a notice of claim sent on Aug. 5, attorneys representing Joseph and Tara Petito and Nichole and Jim Schmidt said they are seeking $50 million in damages.
Body camera images from the Aug. 12 incident show Petito and Laundrie talking to an officer after her 2012 Ford Transit was pulled over by Moab police. In one image, she appears to be crying while sitting in the back of a police vehicle.
The couple told police they were arguing and that Petito had slapped Laundrie, according to the police report. The couple also stated to police that Laundrie did not hit Petito.
In a statement at the time, Moab police said that “insufficient evidence existed to justify criminal charges” in that incident.
Petito had told police she suffered from severe anxiety and other medical conditions, which were redacted from the police report, and that the couple’s argument had been building for days. Police labeled the incident as a “mental/emotional break” rather than a domestic assault, according to the police report.
The incident took place about two weeks before Petito, who was on a cross-country trip with Laundrie, last spoke with her family, who reported her missing on Sept. 11.
Officials confirmed on Sept. 21 that a body found in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming was Petito. A coroner later ruled that she had died of “blunt-force injuries to the head and neck, with manual strangulation.”
Laundrie returned to his parent’s home in North Port without Petito and was reported missing on Sept. 17.
Police found Laundrie’s remains in Carlton Reserve several weeks later, in October.
Shortly after Petito’s body was found, the city of Moab announced it would launch an independent investigation into its police department’s handling of the incident involving Petito and Laundrie.
In response to the independent report’s findings, the city of Moab said it planned to implement recommendations including providing additional training in domestic violence investigation and strengthening the review process for incident reports.
“As the Moab City Police Department continues its daily mission to serve our community, efforts are underway to provide additional resources and tools to assist them in addressing domestic violence incidents,” the city said in a statement. “Plans are in place to add a trained domestic violence specialist to oversee incidents investigated by Moab officers. We also will implement added and ongoing training and testing to ensure that the officers understand policies and procedures.”
The city also applauded the responding officers, writing, “Based on the report’s findings, the City of Moab believes our officers showed kindness, respect and empathy in their handling of this incident.”
The city has not yet responded to the announcement of the wrongful death lawsuit.
Stewart, an attorney for Petito’s family, said they hope their planned lawsuit helps to “prevent such tragedies” as Petito’s death.
“The Petito family believes that it is important as a society to hold our governmental institutions to account for such failures and to work toward changes to protect victims of domestic abuse and violence and prevent such tragedies in the future,” Stewart said in a statement.
Last week, the Petitos announced a $100,000 donation to the National Domestic Violence Hotline through The Gabby Petito Foundation, which the family formed after her death to support victims of domestic violence.
(BRUNSWICK, Ga.) — Sentencing is underway for the three men convicted of federal hate crimes in the death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery.
Travis McMichael, who fired the fatal shot on Feb. 23, 2020, was sentenced Monday to life in prison.
His father, Gregory McMichael, and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan could also face life sentences. They’ll be sentenced Monday afternoon at the Brunswick, Georgia, courthouse.
The three white men were convicted in February by a federal jury who decided that they followed and killed Arbery because he was Black.
After deliberating for less than four hours, the jury convicted all three men of being motivated by racial hate in interference of Arbery’s civil rights and attempted kidnapping. Travis McMichael, 36, and his 64-year-old father were also convicted of carrying and brandishing a weapon during the commission of a crime of violence. Travis McMichael was also found guilty of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
The McMichaels chased Arbery in their pickup truck after they saw him jogging in their neighborhood, falsely believing he had been responsible for several break-ins in the Satilla Shores neighborhood. Bryan joined the chase in his own truck, blocking Arbery from escaping and recorded cellphone footage of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery with a shotgun after a brief struggle.
During the trial, prosecutors released text messages and social media posts in which Travis McMichael and Bryan repeatedly used racist slurs. Witnesses also testified to hearing both McMichaels make racist comments.
All three defendants are already serving life in prison for the killing after being found guilty of murder in a Georgia state court last fall.
(BOULDER CITY, Nev.) — Human remains were again found in Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir that continues to shrink amid a decades-long drought, officials announced Sunday.
According to the National Park Service, someone made the discovery at the park’s Swim Beach in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, on the Nevada side, around 11:15 a.m. Saturday. This marks the fourth time since May that human remains were found in Lake Mead, where water levels continue to recede at historic levels.
With the help of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s dive team, park rangers responded and set up a perimeter to retrieve the remains, the NPS said.
Officials have said the reservoir’s water levels are so low they could hit “dead pool” status, which means that the water is too low to flow downstream.
The minimum water surface level needed to generate power at the Hoover Dam is 1,050 feet, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Anything below that is considered an “inactive pool,” and a “dead pool” exists when the water level hits 895 feet, according to the federal agency.
Satellite images released last month by NASA show side-by-side comparisons of Lake Mead, one taken on July 6, 2000, and the other more than two decades later on July 6 of this year.
A result of the diminishing water level is that bodies and human parts have been emerging.
On May 7, human skeletal remains were found near the lake’s Callville Bay, according to the National Park Service. The discovery came a week after the decayed body of a man was found stuffed in a steel barrel near the reservoir’s Hemenway Fishing Pier, more than 20 miles from Callville Bay, according to the LVMPD.
On July 25, human remains were also found at Swim Beach.
Officials launched an investigation into the most recent discovery on Saturday, and the Clark County Medical Examiner has been contacted to determine the cause of death.
ABC News’ Julia Jacobo contributed to this report.
(BRUNSWICK, Ga.) — The three men convicted of hate crimes in the death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery will be sentenced Monday.
Gregory McMichael; his son, Travis McMichael; and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan each face life sentences after being convicted by a federal jury in February. The jury decided that the three white men followed and killed Arbery because he was Black.
The U.S. District Court jury reached its decision just one day before the second anniversary of Arbery’s Feb. 23, 2020, murder near Brunswick, Georgia.
After deliberating for less than four hours, the jury convicted all three men of being motivated by racial hate in interference of Arbery’s civil rights, and attempted kidnapping. Travis McMichael, 36, and his 64-year-old father were also convicted of carrying and brandishing a weapon during the commission of a crime of violence.
Travis McMichael, who fired the fatal shot, was also found guilty of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
The McMichaels chased Arbery in their pickup truck after they saw him jogging in their neighborhood, falsely believing he had been responsible for several break-ins in the Satilla Shores neighborhood. Bryan joined the chase in his own truck, blocking Arbery from escaping and recorded cellphone footage of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery with a shotgun after a brief struggle.
During the trial, prosecutors released text messages and social media posts in which Travis McMichael and Bryan repeatedly used racist slurs. Witnesses also testified to hearing both McMichaels make racist comments.
All three defendants are already serving life in prison for the killing after being found guilty of murder in a Georgia state court last fall.
(NEW YORK) — Michigan state investigators said test samples taken Thursday from Hubbell Pond in Milford showed low-level presence of a toxic chemical that was released into the Huron River System by the Tribar Manufacturing company in Wixom last weekend.
Two crews from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy sampled waters upstream, downstream and within the pond on Friday to gather more information on the presence of hexavalent chromium, a known cancer-causing chemical.
According to Michigan authorities, hexavalent chromium is known carcinogen that can cause a number of adverse health effects through ingestion, skin contact or inhalation.
State officials are still investigating why the release occurred, the exact volume and product that was released and the timeline of events.
The Hubbell Pond samples were the only ones where hexavalent chromium was detected, out of the more than 30 samples that were taken from varying depths from near the point of release downstream to Barton Pond in Ann Arbor.
“Liquid containing 5% hexavalent chromium was discharged to the sanitary sewer system from Tribar Manufacturing in Wixom last weekend and routed to the Wixom wastewater treatment facility,” Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said in a statement.
Michigan authorities advised people and pets to avoid contact with the Huron River water between North Wixom Road in Oakland County and Kensington Road in Livingston County. This includes Norton Creek downstream of the Wixom Wastewater Treatment Plant (Oakland County), Hubbell Pond (also known as Mill Pond in Oakland County) and Kent Lake (Oakland and Livingston counties).
Residents are also warned not to water their plants with river water or eat fish caught in that section of the river.
Authorities also warned this recommendation could be expanded to other areas of the river as it receives additional test results.
Properly constructed and permitted drinking water wells not influenced by surface water are unlikely to be contaminated by chromium from the river, they said.
(BUTLER TOWNSHIP, Ohio) — The FBI is involved in a multistate manhunt for a person of interest sought in the fatal shooting of four people in Ohio.
The person of interest, identified by police as 39-year-old Stephen Marlow, should be considered “armed and dangerous,” FBI Cincinnati said on Twitter. He has ties to Indianapolis, Chicago and Lexington, Kentucky, and “could be in one of these cities,” FBI Cincinnati said.
Marlow has ties to Indianapolis, Chicago and Lexington and could be in one of these cities. He should be considered armed and dangerous.https://t.co/OclLDzP0b4
Marlow is wanted in connection with the shooting deaths of four people in Butler Township, a small town north of Dayton on Friday, police said.
Police responding to reports of gunfire shortly before noon found the four victims suffering from gunshot wounds at “multiple crime scenes” in a residential area, the Butler Township Police Department said.
The four victims were pronounced dead at the scenes. They have not been identified by police.
Butler Township Police Chief John Porter said they don’t believe there is a continued threat to the neighborhood but “we will continue to have crews in the area in case Marlow would return,” he told reporters on Friday. The Dayton Police Department Bomb Squad was also contacted “out of an abundance of caution,” he said.
Neighbors were asked to review any video camera footage from that day.
Porter said police were working to determine “if there were any motive to this horrible tragedy” and did not have any further information on the investigation.
“This is the first violent crime in this neighborhood in recent memory,” Porter said.
Marlow is believed to have fled the area in a white 2007 Ford Edge SUV with the Ohio license plate JES9806, police said.
He was described by police as approximately 5’11”, 160 pounds with short brown hair and was last seen wearing shorts and a yellow T-shirt.
