Fourth Muslim man attended funeral of other victims hours before death

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Police and the community are on high alert, looking for whoever killed four local Muslim men in what they are calling “ambush-style attacks.”

The latest victim was killed on Friday night, hours after attending a funeral service for two of the other murdered Muslim men. Now, police are asking for the public’s help in finding who is responsible.

“He came to the U.S. six years ago after a very — a lot of hardships to just be able to get to the U.S.,” said Ehsan Shahalami, Naeem’s brother-in-law.

Shahalami says he worked his way up to buying his own 18-wheeler – pursuing the American dream.

“For me, for example, I still at points I just don’t believe it. I’ve been waiting for a phone call from him or something, just to hear his voice one more time,” said Shahalami.

Following the burial, there was a luncheon at the Islamic Center of New Mexico.

Shahalami says that’s the last time Naeem saw his friends.

“Called him and texted him and he did not respond to any of those calls or texts,” said Shahalami. 

He says Naeem’s friends used location sharing on his phone to track him to the parking lot of the Lutheran Family Services, just north of Central and east of Nob Hill.

“And they went approached the vehicle and saw Naeem and they opened the door, they thought he was sleeping, or something. So they basically said, ‘Naeem?’ And then, as soon as they touched him, he – one of the friends – he slouched over and fell over,” said Shahalami. “The friends that saw the body, they said it was a headshot.”

Naeem is the third Muslim man killed in Albuquerque in less than two weeks, with the last name Hussain. Now, police are investigating if and how these killings might be connected.

“Most often in these types of cases, it’s tips from the public that help us solve cases.”

Police are looking for the driver of a Volkswagen or Jetta, hoping the public can lead them to a killer.

“It’s just the most un-American thing to do to anybody and the most inhumane thing to do, to anybody,” said Shahalami.