A 17-Year-Old Muslim Girl Was Killed After Leaving Virginia Mosque

The death of Nabra Hassanen is not being investigated as a hate crime, officials say.

June 19, 2017

Nabra Hassanen, a 17-year-old Muslim girl, was found dead near a mosque in Sterling, Virginia on Sunday, Washington Post reports. The death is not being investigated as a hate crime, authorities said. 22-year-old Darwin Martinez Torres has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the case.

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Police and mosque officials said that Hassanen and four or five other teens were walking back from an IHOP early Sunday morning when they confronted by a motorist. They ran to the mosque, All Dulles Area Muslim Society, but Hassanen was left behind. "Immediately thereafter, the ADAMS’ personnel notified both Loudoun County and Fairfax County authorities who immediately began an extensive search to locate the missing girl,” a representative for the mosque said in a statement.

Shoyeb Hassan, the co-chair of ADAMS, told Washington Post that during the last 10 days of Ramadan, the mosque has extra prayers at midnight and 2 a.m. and members frequently go to the nearby McDonald’s or the 24-hour IHOP to eat after prayer and before they start their fast at sunrise.

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On Monday, Fairfax County police said that Darwin Martinez Torres was being charged with the murder of Nabra Hassanen but did not offer any explanation as to why the murder is not being investigated as a hate crime.

A 17-Year-Old Muslim Girl Was Killed After Leaving Virginia Mosque