Police in Fort Wayne, Indiana, are investigating the deaths of three young Muslim Americans who were killed "execution-style" last week.
The three victims - 23-year-old Mohamedtaha Omar, 20-year-old Adam Mekki and 17-year-old Muhannad Tairab - were discovered with multiple gunshot wounds inside a home that police labeled a "party house," according to ABC affiliate WPTA-TV.
They were members of a diaspora community from Africa's eastern Sahel region, according to Al Jazeera.
"These young people were just starting out in their life," Fort Wayne Police Chief Garry Hamilton told WANE TV.
Police said the home was a place with little supervision, where young people in their teens and early 20s gathered for fun. The home was on the radar of Fort Wayne police's gang and violent crimes unit in recent weeks, but Hamilton told the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette that the victims did not have any known gang affiliations. The owners of the home live in Indianapolis, the paper reported.
"A lot of people would come and go to the residence," Hamilton said. "We talked to neighbors, and a lot of young people would come and go to this house."
Investigators said they believe the killings occurred within a one-hour window or so, between the time a group of people left the home and later returned to find the victims. Hamilton said it would be hard for one person to carry out three killings at once, leading investigators to suspect that more than one person was involved in the crime. Investigators have not released a motive for the killings.
Rusty York, the city's public safety director, told WPTA-TV that investigators do not think the killing was motivated by the victims' religious affiliation.
"Hopefully, you know, we'll be able to focus in on exactly what the reason was, but as I said before, no reason to believe this was any type of hate crime, or focused because of their religion or their nationality whatsoever," he said.
Hamilton told the Journal Gazette that he had been meeting since last week with the victims' families as well as members of the city's African community. He told the paper that he asked for the FBI's assistance in case investigators find a link between the victim's religion and their deaths.
During Omar and Tairab's funeral on Saturday, Hamilton urged the public to step forward with information about the crime, according to CNN.
"I need someone to come and tell me what they know," he said. "Please, I'm asking for your help and your mercy to bring justice for these young men."
The Washington Post
Mon Feb 29 2016
The victims were discovered with multiple gunshot wounds inside a home.
What Trump 2.0 could mean for trade, migrants, climate change and electric cars
Here's a summary of the policies Donald Trump has said he will pursue when he takes office on Jan. 20.
UN says Taliban detained journalists over 250 times in Afghanistan since takeover
The Taliban-led foreign ministry denies having arrested that number of journalists and added that those arrested had committed a crime.
TikTok becoming app of choice for criminals promoting investment scams - Police
Many users continue to be tricked and scammed even though police have repeatedly issued warnings about scams proliferating on social media.
MOE’s mental health screening identifies students with emotional challenges
Deputy Minister of Education says, those identified with severe emotional issues undergo screening twice a year.
Israel, Hezbollah agree to ceasefire brokered by US and France, to take effect Wednesday
Israel will gradually withdraw its forces over 60 days as Lebanon's army takes control of territory near its border with Israel to ensure that Hezbollah does not rebuild its infrastructure there.
'No one will win a trade war,' China says after Trump tariff threat
Donald Trump says he would impose the tariffs until China stops the flow of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the United States.
What has caused Pakistan's deadly clashes between police and supporters of Imran Khan?
Topping the demands of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is the release of all its leaders, including Khan, who has been jailed on a series of corruption charges since August 2023.
One woman or girl killed every 10 minutes by intimate partner or family member - UN
The report highlights that "60 per cent of all female homicides" are committed by "people closely related to them".
Sweden urges Chinese ship to return for undersea cable investigation
Two subsea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania, were damaged in less than 24 hours.
[COLUMNIST] Building more highways won’t solve traffic congestion - reducing demand will
It is clear that adding more lanes and highways doesn't work, because we are still attempting the same approach to solve the issue.
Hyundai to invest RM2.16 bil in Malaysia through strategic partnership with INOKOM
This investment includes efforts to upgrade INOKOM's existing assembly capacity to meet Hyundai's automotive needs.
‘C4Cinta’ sets record as highest-grossing Malaysian Tamil film
'C4Cinta', directed by young filmmaker Karthik Shamalan, has set a new benchmark in Malaysian Tamil cinema.
Man charged with mother's murder, storing body in freezer
The court denied bail and scheduled case mention on Feb 7 for the submission of forensic, autopsy, and chemist reports.
Abolition of examination in schools to reduce pressure on pupils - Fadhlina
The classroom assessment approach offers a much more interesting learning ecosystem, says Fadhlina Sidek.
Google, Meta urge Australia to delay bill on social media ban for children
Google and Meta says the government should wait for the results of an age-verification trial before going ahead.
Judge tosses Trump 2020 election case after prosecutors' request
It represents a big legal victory for Donald Trump, who won the Nov. 5 US election and is set to return to office on Jan. 20.
DHL plane crash in Lithuania leaves authorities searching for answers
Rescue services said the plane hit the ground, split into pieces and slid over 100 metres (110 yards).
National squad to hold friendly matches for 2025 Indoor Hockey World Cup
The warm-up matches will involve matches against better ranked teams in the world, namely Austria (first) and Belgium (third).
G7 seeks unity on ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu
The United States, part of the G7, has rejected the ICC decision, with President Joe Biden describing it as outrageous.
Francissca Peter remembers Tan Sri Ahmad Nawab: A tribute to a musical legend
A legend who has influenced our music for decades, was one of the highlights of my career, says Francissca Peter.