Tennessee shooter has ties to Houston
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Muslims all over the Houston area gathered for Eid services Friday, but, even during this day of celebration, many are thinking of another Muslim accused of a horrific crime.
"When I first saw the breaking news, it was, 'Oh, please, don't let this be a Muslim,'" said Madinah Al-Beshar.
Authorities say 24-year-old Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez killed four U.S. Marines and wounded three others in Thursday's attack. Abdulazeez spent a lot of time with close relatives in the Pearland area. For the first time in their lives, they're skipping Eid prayers.
"The family is just speechless," said Mustafaa Carroll, the executive director of the Council of American Islamic Relations. "They say he was just a happy-go-lucky guy. What happened? They don't know and that's what scares people."
Local Muslim leaders say now is another opportunity to increase both outreach and inreach. They believe community is the only way to fight extremism.
"We believe we are at war with them," explained M.J. Khan, the president of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston. "So our struggle is a daily struggle against them and against those people who are extremists."
