3 men arrested in connection with New Jersey imam’s murder, including victim’s son

Three men, including the victim’s adult son, have been arrested on weapons charges in connection with the murder of Imam Hassan Sharif of Newark, New Jersey.

Abdush K. Sharif, 36, Kevin Rogers, 46, and Deshawn Kinchen, 49, were detained Friday, according to NJ.com. Authorities announced the arrests on Monday.

None of the three suspects was directly accused of killing Hassan Sharif, NBC News reported.

Sources had previously told NBC News that a family member was under investigation in the killing, and the outlet confirmed that Abdush Sharif is Hassan Sharif’s son. A person named Abdush Sharif was also listed as the victim’s son in his funeral program, according to NJ.com.

All three men were arrested during a police search of a Newark apartment on Friday, NJ.com reported. Cops discovered a revolver in the apartment and said none of the men had documents to prove they legally owned it.

Abdush Sharif and Rogers remained behind bars Tuesday at Essex County jail, according to WNBC. Kinchen was released on a summons. The investigation into Hassan Sharif’s killing remains active, cops said.

Sharif, 52, was killed in the parking lot of Masjid Muhammad in Newark shortly after pre-sunrise (Fajr) prayers on Jan. 3. Sharif was shot twice at close range, according to investigators.

No one has been charged with Sharif’s murder. The three suspects detained Friday were formally charged with fourth-degree violation of regulatory provisions relating to firearms. Authorities have offered a $25,000 reward for information that leads to the killer’s arrest.

In a Facebook post from August, five months before the killing, Sharif shared that he’d been confronted by a gunman in his mosque’s parking lot. Sharif said he wrestled with the attacker and escaped with his life, while the gunman ran away.

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