Also in New York, hundreds gathered Monday for the funeral of Imam Maulama Akonjee and his assistant Thara Uddin, who were shot in the back of their heads while walking home from prayer in broad daylight on Saturday. On Monday, suspected shooter Oscar Morel was charged with two counts of second-degree murder. Authorities say it is not yet clear whether the imam and his assistant were targeted as a result of their faith. Many in the Queens community of Ozone Park say they think the Islamophobic rhetoric promoted by Donald Trump may have contributed to their deaths. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio appeared to reference Donald Trump’s rhetoric at Monday’s funeral.
Mayor Bill de Blasio: “And we know there are voices all over this country who are spewing hate, trying to create division, trying to turn one American against another. I look around at all my brothers and sisters here, I see proud Americans, I see proud New Yorkers. And I will never let us be torn apart, and we will not let each other be torn apart.”