A Houston mosque became an unintended target during a nearby shooting incident on Friday evening while congregants were gathered to begin celebrations for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The Alnoor Masjid mosque, located in the Gulfton area of southwest Houston, was struck by three bullets as nearly 100 worshippers were inside. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, according to law enforcement officials.
Police confirmed the shots were not intended for the mosque but were the result of a disturbance between two groups not associated with the place of worship. The exchange of gunfire, which caused the stray bullets to impact the mosque, has yet to be fully explained. Houston Police Department public information officer Shay Awosiyan stated there's no indication the incident was a hate crime, as per information obtained by the Houston Chronicle.
Zahoor Gire, the executive director of Alnoor Masjid, explained to KTRK that the community was at first fearing the worst. "We at first thought this was a hate crime," Gire said. Rising tensions over international conflicts and the onset of Ramadan heightened concerns, but authorities were quick to allay fears by linking the gunfire to the unrelated altercation nearby.
While the incident has shaken the mosque's congregation, Gire emphasized the mosque's resolve to ensure safety for all and to not succumb to fear. "It is very concerning. Again we are praying for everyone and the area does require more patrols. We are in talks with HPD, and they said they will provide us with more safety and security during Ramadan," Gire told KTRK. Plans have been put in place by the Houston Police Department to station extra patrol cars around the mosque throughout Ramadan.
The mosque, which was conducting its "Welcome to Ramadan" event, fortuitously had enforced windows that likely lessened the possible danger, according to Gire's statement to the Houston Chronicle. No one was near the windows when they were struck, preventing what could have been a tragic outcome.
