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Shooting Near Ohio Mosque Not an Attack
· Confirmed
In Short: A shooting near a mosque in Columbus, Ohio, was not an attack on the religious site, authorities said.
A shooting near a mosque in Columbus, Ohio, on Monday was not an attack on the religious site, authorities confirmed. Police Sgt. James Fuqua said the incident occurred in the parking lot of an apartment complex adjacent to the mosque and had no connection to the mosque itself.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) initially reported that the shooting took place at the mosque, but later clarified that it happened near the building. ATF agents responded to a report of a shooting on the 2200 block of Albert Avenue, where the Alrahma Mosque is located.
According to the ATF, funeral attendees had exited the mosque when shots were reportedly fired by an undetermined number of individuals. One individual was confirmed deceased, and the ATF spokesperson stated that the incident was not a targeted attack on the mosque.
The shooting occurred in a neighborhood that includes a cluster of two-story apartment buildings and the mosque. Police emphasized that the event at the mosque had nothing to do with the shooting.
Multiple news outlets reported that one person was killed near the mosque, where a funeral was taking place. The ATF spokesperson noted that preliminary information indicated the shooting did not occur inside the mosque.
The Columbus Dispatch reported that the shooting happened while a funeral was in progress at the mosque, citing a photographer at the scene. However, the ATF spokesperson clarified that the shooting took place in the parking lot of an apartment complex adjacent to the mosque.
Despite initial confusion, authorities stressed that the shooting was not an attack on the mosque or those inside. Sgt. Fuqua reiterated that the shooting had nothing to do with the mosque and was not an attack on the building.
Neither the police, neighborhood officials, nor the mosque immediately responded to phone messages seeking further information. Newsweek reached out to the Alrahma Mosque and the Ohio Department of Public Safety for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
While the shooting was not an attack on the mosque, the event underscores the need for community vigilance and clear communication from authorities during such incidents.
What this adds
The shooting near the mosque was initially misreported by the ATF as occurring inside the mosque, but later clarified to have taken place in the adjacent parking lot.
What's confirmed
- COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A reported shooting in the Ohio capital on Monday happened near a mosque, but it wasn’t an attack on the house of worship, authorities said.
- “At the mosque, unfortunately, there was an event going on that had nothing to do with what was going on outside,” Fuqua said.
- James Fuqua said the shooting happened at a nearby apartment complex and “was not an attack on the mosque,” noting that one person was killed.
- But at a hastily assembled news conference near the scene, police Sgt.
- The area includes a cluster of two-story apartment buildings, in addition to a mosque.
- Earlier Monday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in a post on X that agents were responding to a report of a shooting at the mosque, which is northeast of downtown Columbus.
- Neither the police, neighborhood officials nor the mosque immediately responded to phone messages seeking further information.
- "We want to make it clear this was not an attack on the mosque," said Sgt.
- One person was killed near the mosque, where an event was happening, a Columbus police official said.
- But police later said the shooting happened in the parking lot of an apartment complex next to the mosque.
- Law enforcement respond to the scene of a shooting Monday, Oct.
- COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A shooting in a neighborhood near a mosque in Ohio’s capital city left one person dead Monday but was not connected to the house of worship or those who were inside, police said.
What's still developing
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- "Earlier reports of a possible second victim have not been confirmed at this time. ATF Special Agents are assisting the Columbus Division of Police with the ongoing investigation. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available."