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Family urges police to classify shooting of Muslim woman as hate crime
The family of a woman shot and wounded in Prince George’s County on Monday is urging police to classify the attack as a hate crime, saying she was targeted because she is Muslim.
WASHINGTON - The family of a woman shot and wounded in Prince George’s County on Monday is urging police to classify the attack as a hate crime, saying she was targeted because she is Muslim.
What we know:
The shooting happened around 1 p.m. in the 500 block of Ritchie Road in Capitol Heights. Police said the suspect fled and detectives are interviewing witnesses as part of an active investigation.
The victim’s family said she was wearing a niqab — a traditional Muslim veil that covers the face — when she was attacked while running errands.
"She’s still going through the shock of what happened," her brother said. "When it happened, she felt like it was a dream. She wasn’t sure if it was really happening. When the guy pointed the gun, she didn’t even think it was real until the glass shattered. And then she started seeing blasts coming from the gun, and the guy of course kept on shooting her."
Her brother said she was struck in the left arm and believes the gunman may have been aiming for her head.
"It took her a few seconds to process what was happening," he said. "After she realized she was being shot at and got shot in her left arm, he seemed to want to aim for the head. So she started covering her head with her left side. And thank God she had enough strength and courage to duck in that situation."
Shattered glass from her minivan was still visible in the shopping center parking lot where the car ended up.
Dig deeper:
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling on police to treat the shooting as a hate crime.
"Especially in this political climate where we’re seeing a higher incidence of violence targeting minority communities and communities of diverse faiths and backgrounds," said Zainab Chaudry, CAIR’s Maryland director. "In this particular context, because this woman was visibly Muslim, she was wearing a face veil, it was a seemingly unprovoked attack. We want to cover all the bases and make sure this incident is treated with the seriousness it deserves and that the perpetrator is brought to justice to the fullest extent of the law."
Chaudry said the attack has unsettled the wider Muslim community.
"It doesn’t just affect the victim, it also affects the broader community," she said. "Our office has received numerous calls from community members who are now questioning whether they should change the way they dress or the way they go about their daily routine. Nobody should ever have to feel like they have to change who they are or what they’re doing just because they’re fearful for their safety."
The victim’s brother said his family wants the shooter caught before he harms anyone else.
"We want the perpetrator to be apprehended and brought to justice before he commits a more serious crime," he said. "This could have been his first mission. It was just one person this time. Who knows, maybe next time it will be on a larger scale. It could be anybody."
Prince George’s County police said they are not yet classifying the case as a hate crime. CAIR is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.