Man Charged Over New York Mosque Double Murder

A man has been charged over the shooting of an imam and his friend as they left a mosque in New York.

Oscar Morel was charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon after police recovered a revolver and clothes similar to those worn by the gunman in CCTV footage from his home.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and aide Thara Uddin, 64, were shot in the back of the head by a lone gunman shortly after leaving the Al Furqan Jame mosque in Queens on Saturday.

Morel, 35, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly hitting a cyclist with his car 10 minutes after the shooting.

Authorities have not said what may have prompted the shooting.

New York police said surveillance footage showed the suspected killer speeding away from the scene of the shooting in a black GMC Trailblazer.

Shortly afterwards, the same vehicle apparently hit a cyclist three miles away in Brooklyn.

On Monday, tensions were running high at a funeral service for the two murdered men attended by around 1,000 people, including New York's mayor Bill de Blasio.

Some members of the congregation shouted, "Justice!" periodically throughout the service.

Several speakers said they believed the victims were targeted because of their religion.

After the ceremony, part of the crowd marched to the spot where the shooting took place.

Earlier, the imam's son Foyez Uddin - who is not related to the other victim - said he was due to visit Bangladesh later this month to visit his elderly mother.

Mr Uddin said the family "can not believe he is no more" and called the loss "irreparable".