Elderly Yemeni immigrant shot dead in New York en route to mosque

Over the weekend, an elderly Yemeni American man was shot dead in New York City while walking to his mosque.

Hamod Ali Saeidi, 86, was on his way to dhuhr prayers when a man riding on a scooter fatally shot him in the back, one of multiple shootings perpetrated by the gunman at different locations in New York City on Saturday. 

The shooting of Saeidi in the borough of Queens was the only one that was fatal, while three other victims were wounded in the six separate shootings in a spree that lasted around half an hour.

On Sunday, a 25-year-old man was arrested for the shootings, which authorities believe, based on the range of demographics of the various victims, were random. Police have not yet found a motive.

On Sunday, thousands gathered at a community centre to remember the life of Saeidi, who moved to New York in the 1970s and supported his family through his businesses. The family patriarch leaves a wife, six children, 30 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren.

"This person did not kill one person only; he did not kill my father only; he killed the whole community, my whole family," his son, Main Saeidi, said, according to NBC New York.

New York Mayor Eric Adams appeared at the funeral and promised to address gun violence. He had campaigned on a platform of public safety amid growing crime.

This incident comes during increased scrutiny on New York and other big cities over public safety. Though homicides have generally fallen, other types of crime have increased, leading to an atmosphere of vulnerability and frustration among many residents.