Imam Maulama Akonjee and assistant Thara Uddin were shot from behind with the community slamming the fatal attack as a hate crime
THE shocking moment an Imam and his assistant are gunned down as they leave a New York mosque has been captured on CCTV footage.
The video shows the two men, 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and 64-year-old Thara Uddin walking down the street in broad daylight when a man appears behind them.
The revered Imam and his friend are then shot in the head without a word.
In the footage, the two victims can be seen falling as they are killed on the street in Queens over the weekend.
The suspect, who is now on the run and is described as wearing a dark shirt and blue shorts, then runs from the Ozone Park area.
The men, who had just left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque before 2pm, were found covered in blood on the street and were rushed to hospital.
Akonjee was pronounced dead at on arrival while Uddin died about four hours later.
Locals have since said the Saturday attack was a hate crime.
The Imam was remembered as a "sweet, soft-spoken, humble man" who did not have arguments with anybody.
Akonjee, a married father of three, was a respected religious leader who had arrived in Queens from Bangladesh less than two years ago.
He was to return to Bangladesh in a little more than a week to attend his son's wedding.
Uddin's brother Mashuk Uddin told the New York Daily: "We are all crying. There's so much crying."
Local resident Khairul Islam, 33, told : "This is not what America is about.
"We blame Donald Trump for this... Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia."
President of a nearby neighbourhood mosque, Kobir Chowdhury, said: "We are devastated. We need to get to the bottom of this. We need to know if they did this just because of our religion."
More than 300 people marched through the streets in a protest against the killings with Chowdhury saying: "Please, read my lips. This is a hate crime no matter which way you look at it."
Millat Uddin, a local who is not related to the victim, said: "People being shot in the head in broad daylight is unheard of.
"Killing people brutally, like they're an animal".
Speaking to CBS New York, he said: "We feel really insecure and unsafe in a moment like this.
"It's really threatening to us, threatening to our future, threatening to our mobility in our neighbourhood, and we're looking for justice."
One of the men was reportedly carrying around $1000 but it was not taken from him during the shooting.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has since released a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator.
National executive director Nihad Awad said: "We hope the offer of a reward will lead to the arrest and conviction of the individual who perpetrated this heinous crime.
"Once an arrest is made, we expect that the motive of the shooter can be determined."
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also released a statement, saying: "This weekend our city was stung by violence that devastated a congregation and unsettled a community.
"When religious leaders are targeted, we all bear the pain those in Ozone Park feel most personally today.
"While we do not yet know the motivation for the murder of Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin, we do know that our Muslim communities are in the perpetual crosshairs of bigotry.
"It remains critical that we work to bridge the divides that threaten to undermine the greatness of our city and country.
"Rest assured that our NYPD will bring this killer to justice."
New York Police released a statement, with Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner saying police had received multiple calls to the scene on the corner of Liberty Avenue and 79 Street.
Officers then rushed the men to Jamaica Hospital where Akonjee was pronounced dead.
New York police's Sautner said: "At this time, our preliminary investigation revealed that the 2 victims were walking northbound on 79 Street and as they were turning onto Liberty Avenue, they were approached from behind by what witnesses and video surveillance shows, a male with medium complexion dressed in a dark polo shirt and shorts
"Immediately after the victims were shot, the same male was seen fleeing from the scene southbound on 79 street.
"Witnesses stated they observed the male fleeing with a gun in his hand. At this time, a motive has not been determined, and we are currently conducting an extensive canvass of the area for video and additional witnesses.
"There are no arrests at this time and the investigation is ongoing."
Police have since appealed for assistance in finding the man believed to be responsible for the fatal shootings.
The sketch, based on witness accounts, shows a bearded man with glasses.
Last year, the New York Times r after the Paris and San Bernardino attacks.
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