Muhammad Afzaal Hussain

The brother of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, one of three Muslim men gunned down in Albuquerque in the summer of 2022, spoke with KUNM about suspect Muhammad Syed taking a plea deal Tuesday in the final two murder cases.

A year ago, the killings of three Muslim men, in addition to a fourth several months earlier, shook the Albuquerque community. Muhammad Syed, who attended the same mosque as the victims, was arrested and charged with three of the murders and is a suspect in the fourth. The brother of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, killed last August, says he still doesn't know why.

As law enforcement continues investigating the killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque, the University of New Mexico held a townhall meeting for faculty, staff and students Monday to outline how campus police are providing increased protection as students begin returning for the fall semester.

Albuquerque Police say that there is a link between two murders of Middle Eastern men over the last ten days, and that a third murder last November may also be related, but they are not ready to call it a hate crime.