A Muslim family walking in Boonton, NJ last night was shot at, killing the 27-year-old mother and wounding the 26-year-old father. The Brooklyn couple's three-year-old son was unharmed but was reportedly "splattered in blood." Now police are investigating whether it was a bias attack.
Nasish Noorani, who was born in Pakistan, was slain while she, husband Kashif Parvaiz, and son were walking home from her sister's house—where they observed Iftar, the meal to break the fast during Ramadan— to her father's house a few blocks away around 11:30 p.m. According to NBC New York, "Noorani's cousin, Muhammad Khan, said Noorani was dressed in cultural clothing at the time of the shooting, though she was not wearing a hijab."
A first responder told the Star-Ledger that "Noorani was shot near her heart and likely killed instantly. Her husband was shot in the ankle and shoulder, she said." The responder added that "Noorani’s body was lying in the street, and that her husband was on the sidewalk." Apparently their child was still in the stroller, just feet from his mother, and a neighbor was trying to calm him down.
Boonton Police Chief Michael Beltran said, "We’ve had Muslims in the community for over 50 years and very few problems with hate crimes."
