Oscar Morel, accused of fatally shooting N.Y. imam and assistant, to be arraigned

The man suspected of gunning down an imam and his assistant in Queens, a crime that has shaken the local Muslim community and led some to believe the attack was a hate crime, is expected to be arraigned in court Tuesday.

Authorities late Monday arrested and charged 35-year-old Oscar Morel with two counts of second-degree murder. He is expected to be arraigned on the charges in Queens Criminal Court.

Officials said Mr. Morel was initially taken into custody Sunday and charged with a hit-and-run of a cyclist that occurred just 10 minutes after the Saturday afternoon shooting.

New York Police Department’s chief of detectives, Robert Boyce, told reporters Monday that Mr. Morel’s black GMC Trailblazer matched the description of the getaway car used in the shooting of Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and Thara Uddin near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque. When police closed in on Mr. Morel Sunday, he rammed a police vehicle trying to flee, Chief Boyce said.

The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that when authorities later searched Mr. Morel’s Brooklyn apartment, they found a gun hidden in the wall of the apartment.

Police have yet to pin down a motive in the broad-daylight shooting, in which the gunman followed the two men as they left an afternoon prayer service and shot each in the back of the head. But many in the local Bangladeshi Muslim community are fearful the shooting was a targeted attack.

Chief Boyce said Monday that the possibility the murders were a hate crime is still “certainly on the table.”

Earlier in the day, Mayor Bill de Blasio attended funeral services for the two men and acknowledged the fears of the community.

“It’s a very rare thing to see a cleric killed, and members of the Muslim community have been on edge because of the atmosphere already that existed in this country, particularly over the last few months in our national debate,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter what faith you come from, it doesn’t matter where you live in this city; as one, we feel this pain,” Mr. de Blasio said. “For all those here who want justice, we want justice with you, too, and we will get justice for this community.”