Group wants road rage shooting in SW Houston investigated as possible hate crime

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A local advocacy group wants a recent road rage shooting investigated as a possible hate crime.

The shooting happened Friday afternoon at an intersection in southwest Houston. Eyewitnesses say two drivers were arguing about who should go, before one shot the other.

The council on Islamic-American relations says an eyewitness allegedly heard one driver say "Go back to Islam" before shooting 42-year-old Ziad Abu Naim. They say an employee in the car with Naim heard the exchange.

"We want police to do what police do. We want a tactical investigation. We want to know what the truth of the matter is. I mean, either way, it's tragic. Whether it's a road rage or a hate crime," said CAIR executive director Mustafaa Carroll.

The police told Eyewitness News this weekend it has 'not made any determination' on this incident as a hate crime, but did take the other driver into custody at the time of the shooting.

Eyewitness News spoke to Naim's family by phone. They say doctors don't believe he'll survive his injuries and they want a full investigation.