What to Know
- A 60-year-old woman was stabbed to death feet away from her home in Queens
- The NYPD Muslim Officers Society said she was the aunt of an NYPD transit officer
- Neighbors believe she was a Muslim, and one man said he thinks the stabbing was a hate crime
Police are searching for the person who stabbed the 60-year-old aunt of an NYPD transit officer to death just feet from her home in Queens, according to officials and a group that knows the dead woman's relative.
Officers responded to reports of an assault in front of a home on Normal Road in Jamaica Hills around 9:15 p.m. Wednesday. When they arrived, they saw Nazma Khanam bleeding with a stab wound to her torso.
Sources told NBC 4 New York that a man approached her and stabbed her as she and her husband carried groceries into their home. It's not clear why she was stabbed, but sources said the assailant didn't take anything. A piece of the knife was recovered at the scene.
On Thursday, police released surveillance video of a man they want to question in connection to the killing.
Khanam was rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Faysal Hussain ran to help Khanam after he heard her scream. He said that he thought she had fainted, but they called 911 after they saw the blood.
"She was crying," he said. "I couldn't hear what she was saying."
The NYPD Muslim Officers Society said Thursday morning that Khanam was the aunt of an NYPD transit officer.
Local
"Very sad to announce the death of the aunt of our member PO Kabir," the organization tweeted. "Let's catch the perp."
Very sad to announce death of the aunt of our member PO Kabir #TD2 @NYPDTransit who was stabbed in @NYPD107Pct tonight lets catch the perp
— NYPDMOS (@NYPDMuslim) September 1, 2016
Jamaica Hills resident Durud Miah said that neighbors believe Khanam was a Muslim. He believes this is a hate crime.
“I don’t think as a 60-year-old woman she has any enemies,” Miah said.
The New York City Muslim community has been on edge since an imam and his associate were gunned down in broad daylight in Queens several weeks ago. Their alleged killer was arrested and charged with murder.
Police said that an investigation into the stabbing is ongoing. They did not say the killing is being investigated as a hate crime.
A crime scene unit was scanning for forensic evidence such as blood and footprints early Thursday morning.
Police are searching for the person who murdered a 60-year-old woman just feet from her home in Queens.
