A cleric was shot outside a mosque not far from New York on Wednesday and is in a critical condition, police said.
Police in the city of Newark, New Jersey, did not give a motive for the incident.
Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Frage confirmed "police responded to a call of a male shot" Wednesday morning.
Frage said the victim was taken to a local hospital and "is reportedly in critical condition."
Officers confirmed that the man was the cleric, and that the incident happened outside a mosque. An investigation has been launched.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, there has been an increase in Islamophobic and anti-Semitic attacks across the United States.
Images published by the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) showed police vehicles deployed outside the Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque, a two-story yellow and green complex.
"We are deeply concerned about this incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the cleric. Anyone with information about the shooting should immediately contact local police," said CAIR New Jersey communications manager Dina Sayedahmed.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Serial Terror In Jammu: Time For India To Redraw Strategy?
US Foiled Russian Plot To Assassinate Ukraine's German Arms Supplier: Report "Was A Big Shock": India's U-19 World Cup Winning Captain Opens Up On USA Rejection Ex-India Star, Snubbed By USA For T20 World Cup, Takes Major League Cricket 2024 By Storm Under-Fire Trainee IAS Officer Accuses Pune Collector Of Harassment Trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar Recalled To Academy, Training Put On Hold Anand Mahindra Shares Picture Of US Senator's Indian Wedding, Calls It... Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Launched In India; Prices Start At Rs. 2.39 Lakh Admission Deadline Extended For EWS And Special Needs Children UGC Launches Project To Develop 22,000 Books In Indian Languages Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.