Sheriff says shooting at Islamic cemetery probably not hate crime

At approximately 6 a.m. on Monday, October 21, officers from the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office Precinct 2 responded to a 911 call for an “unknown problem, man on ground.”

When they arrived at 4925 Harvest Road in McLeansville – where the Greensboro Islamic Cemetery is located – they found the body of a young dead man who had been killed by “multiple gunshot wounds.”

The sheriff’s office released very little information about the incident; However, on Tuesday, October 22, the office provided new critical information: Despite the location of the shooting, it did not appear to have any connection to the Islamic religion – namely, it was not believed to be a hate crime against members of the Islamic religion.

The Sheriff’s Office’s follow-up press release Tuesday also said that despite the fact that the shooter was at large, there did not appear to be an ongoing threat to the public.

A day after the shooting was announced, the Sheriff’s Department sent out the following press release with some new information: “Detectives with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Investigative Unit have officially identified the homicide victim as a juvenile. Therefore, no further information about his identity will be shared. Next of kin have been notified.”

It added that the address is associated with the Greensboro Islamic Cemetery; However, so far the evidence suggests that the murder did not take place within the cemetery itself. “

“At this time, the incident appears to be an isolated incident and is not being investigated as a hate crime,” the release said.

The previous day’s press release did not indicate that the location of the call was in the area of ​​the cemetery, nor did it disclose that it appeared to be an isolated incident or that the public was unlikely to be at risk from the specific perpetrator.