Sandy police have arrested a suspect in the shooting attack earlier this week on the spiritual leader of Utah’s largest mosque.
Police said in a news release that they located the vehicle — a white Kia Optima — involved in Monday evening’s assault on Imam Shuaib Din and booked the suspect into the Salt Lake County jail.
The release said he is being held on suspicion of 12 counts of aggravated assault, one count of felony discharge of a firearm, one count of possession of a controlled substance, one count of dangerous discharge of a weapon from a vehicle and one count of being in possession of a dangerous weapon being held by a prohibited person.
Police, who said they had been working with the FBI as well, said they will confer with the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office on formal charges. The Salt Lake Tribune generally does not name suspects until those charges are filed.
For his part, Din told The Salt Lake Tribune on Saturday that he is “impressed with the work of the law enforcement agencies” and “relieved that this is finally over.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Security was tightened at the Utah Islamic Center and other mosques in the wake of the shooting.
On Monday evening, the imam came under fire as he was leaving his home to return to the Utah Islamic Center in West Jordan, near the border of Sandy, for evening prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Din later encountered more gunshots while he was driving and reporting the shooting to 911. He was never struck, but police said his vehicle was hit multiple times.
“Obviously, he knew my house, knew my car, knew my schedule,” Din told The Tribune the morning after the attack.
The police release said the suspect was known to the imam. Din had no comment on that Saturday.
Security was tightened at area mosques in the wake of the shooting, especially during Ramadan. The Islamic holy month of fasting and prayer continues through March 19.