Afghan refugee Muhammad Syed reaches plea agreement for three fatal shootings in Albuquerque's Muslim community, potentially resolving criminal charges.
Afghan refugee Muhammad Syed, convicted of first-degree murder in one of three fatal shootings in Albuquerque's Muslim community, has reached a plea agreement that could resolve criminal charges linked to the other two killings. The plea deal is set to be considered by a state district judge during a hearing. Syed, who is currently facing life in prison for the murder of Aftab Hussein, was initially set to stand trial for the second killing, which was canceled amid discussions of changing his plea. All three targeted killings occurred over a few days, initially prompting authorities to investigate possible hate crimes. However, the investigation later focused on Syed's "willful and very deliberate" actions within the Muslim community. Syed's public defenders argued that previous allegations of domestic violence never resulted in convictions. The first trial revealed little about the motive, leaving victims' families hoping that subsequent trials might shed more light on the targeted attacks.