An imam was shot and critically injured outside a New Jersey mosque Wednesday morning, Newark police said, CNN reports.
The shooting happened outside the Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque around 6 a.m., Newark Public Safety said.
The victim, identified as an imam, a mosque’s cleric or prayer leader was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, the agency said.
The incident is under investigation and no further information is available, police said.
The New Jersey branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact police.
“We are deeply concerned about this incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the imam,” CAIR-NJ spokesperson Dina Sayedahmed said.