PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – The shooting of a man outside a predominantly Somali mosque has put the Muslim community on edge in Maine’s largest city, but police say it’s unlikely that bias was a motive.
Police say no words were exchanged before the 25-year-old victim was shot in the back Monday night in Portland. Two young men – one black, one white – were seen running away.
The victim had been participating in Ramadan services, and the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations called on police to look into bias as a possible motive.
Capt. Vern Malloch says that there’s nothing to suggest bias as a motive. He told the Portland Press Herald, “That’s not the direction the investigation is leading us.” Police believe the attackers and the victim knew each other, but Malloch declined to elaborate.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.