Playing the Muslims-as-victims card in Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad’s jihad murder trial. “Islam Convert After Revenge For U.S. Acts,” by Rob Moritz for the Times Record, July 21:
LITTLE ROCK “” A Memphis-born convert to Islam became delusional after watching a video of alleged U.S. atrocities against Muslims in the Middle East and drove through three states seeking revenge before shooting one soldier dead and wounding another outside a military recruiting center in Little Rock, a lawyer for the accused killer told a jury at his trial Wednesday.
Abdulhakim Muhammad had a small arsenal in his SUV when he was stopped after the shooting, including an assault rifle and more than 600 rounds of ammunition. He told the police officer there “was a war going on against Muslims … a holy war,” jurors at his capital-murder trial heard.
Muhammad, 26, could face the death penalty if convicted in the June 2009 shooting spree that left Army Pvt. Andrew Long of Conway dead and Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula of Jacksonville wounded.
In opening arguments Wednesday, defense lawyer Patrick Benca said his client was unstable and suffering from a mental defect at the time of the shootings.
Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley told jurors Muhammad had been planning the attack for some time and that they would see a video of his statements to police showing that he was aware of his actions….
After Muhammad watched a video of alleged U.S. military atrocities against Muslim civilians, Benca said, he drove from Arkansas to Kentucky looking for a soldier who was mentioned in the video as being found guilty of the atrocities. The soldier apparently was from Kentucky.
Unable to find the man, Muhammad then drove to a recruiting center in Kentucky, but it was closed, Benca said. He then drove to Nashville, Tenn., where he threw a homemade gasoline bomb at a house he thought was occupied by a Rabbi before driving back to Little Rock.
On his way back home, after driving all night, Muhammad drove by the military recruiting center in west Little Rock and saw Long and Ezeagwula standing outside, “so he goes over … and shoots them both,” Benca said.