Son of Slain NJ Imam Arrested

The son of the imam fatally shot outside his New Jersey mosque on January 3 was arrested Friday on a firearms charge. Abdush K. Sharif, 36, was arrested at a Newark residence along with Kevin Rogers, 46, and Dashawn Kitchen, 49, who were also at the home and also taken into custody on gun charges, NBC News reports. While it was not officially made clear whether the arrests are related to the investigation into Imam Hassan Sharif's murder, the New York Daily News reports that they are connected. Law enforcement sources have previously told news outlets that police were investigating the son, and were looking into whether a relative was responsible for the imam's murder.

The only official word following the arrests, however, was a statement from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office noting, "The investigation into the homicide of Imam Hassan Sharif is active and ongoing." No one has yet been arrested in his murder. Essex County Crime Stoppers and the Council on American-Islamic Relations are both offering rewards for information leading to the arrest of whomever is responsible for the death of the imam, who had been hailed as a community leader known for fighting gun violence and helping the needy. (More New Jersey stories.)