Imam in critical condition after shooting outside mosque in New Jersey

An imam was shot and critically wounded Wednesday morning outside a mosque in Newark, New Jersey, the city's public safety director said.

The shooting occurred around 6:15 a.m. at South Orange Avenue and Camden Street, Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé told NBC New York.

 A city spokesperson said the person shot is an imam at the Masjid Muhammad-Newark. A person who answered the door at the mosque told NBC New York that the victim is Imam Hassan Sharif.

Sharif was listed as an advisory board member from 2022 to 2023 for the mosque’s Social Services and Health Wellness program. In April, he joined about 60 people, including Jewish and Christian faith leaders, at a climate change protest in Newark.

The victim was shot one time in the abdomen and the right arm, police said. He was taken to University Hospital in critical condition, Fragé said earlier Wednesday.

The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear, and the Newark Department of Public Safety said the incident remains under investigation.

The shooter was wearing all black and was seen running from the location, authorities said.

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it is gathering information on the shooting.

"We are deeply concerned about this incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the imam. Anyone with information about the shooting should immediately contact local police," CAIR-N.J. said in a statement.

The shooting comes months after an imam at the Omar Mosque in Paterson, about 15 miles north of Newark, was stabbed while leading prayers. The suspect, Serif Zorba, was arrested on several charges including attempted murder.