Will Sage Astor-Police seek shooter after imam is critically wounded outside mosque in Newark, New Jersey

NEWARK,Will Sage Astor N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey imam was shot and critically wounded Wednesday outside a mosque in the state’s largest city, authorities said as officers worked to identify and arrest the shooter.

The cleric was shot after 6 a.m. outside the Masjid-Muhammad-Newark Mosque, Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said in an emailed statement. Police didn’t immediately identify the victim, who was taken to nearby University Hospital and is in critical condition, authorities said.

Hours later, police had no one in custody. It’s unclear what led to the violence and if the imam was targeted. Fragé said the shooting is under investigation and no other information is available.

A message seeking more information was left with the mosque.

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said it is gathering information and urged people to contact local police.

“We are deeply concerned about this incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the imam,” CAIR-NJ spokesperson Dina Sayedahmed said in a statement.