By Jessica Easthope
The reward is now up to $35,000 for any information about the person responsible for gunning down Imam Hassan Sharif outside of Masjid Muhammad in Newark, Wednesday.
The Catholic and Muslim communities in Newark are in mourning as police continue to investigate the shooting. Cardinal Joseph Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark released a statement on Imam Sharif’s death that says in part, “Imam Sharif was a revered faith and community leader in our city who spoke out against the violence in our streets and neighborhoods. I share the grief of all who mourn the death of this faithful leader and join my prayers with those of his family and friends and our sisters and brothers in the Muslim community.”
Sharif who was the mosque’s leader was shot several times just before the dawn prayer and died hours later at University Hospital. Sharif was known as a community activist and staple of interfaith relations in Newark.
People in neighborhood say they’re afraid to speak knowing the person responsible is still out there, but they remember Imam Sharif as a community leader. Days before his death Sharif ran a coat drive for children in Newark. The investigation is ongoing but according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office it doesn’t appear Sharif was the victim of a hate crime or domestic terrorism.