Man arrested after threatening to kill Muslims, leaving bacon at mosque
RAEFORD, N.C. (WNCN) – The Hoke County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest after an incident at a Raeford mosque where a man left open packages of bacon at the entrance, threatened to kill members of the mosque and attempted to run them down with his SUV.
According to authorities, a Chevrolet Tahoe was parked outside Masjid Al Madina mosque located at 196 Pittman Grove Church Road. The man inside has been identified as Russell Thomas Langford. Langford is accused of following members of the mosque when they got into a car and left the property.
Later in the evening, Langford made death threats against members of Masjid Al Madina. Authorities were called and deputies responded to the scene.
An investigation was started and several firearms, ammunition, and a number of additional weapons were located inside the Tahoe.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an advocacy organization for Muslim civil rights, is now asking for an investigation into a possible hate crime and additional law enforcement patrols in the area of the mosque.
“We call on state law enforcement authorities and the FBI to investigate this incident as a possible hate crime. We also ask local police to step up patrols in the area of this and other North Carolina mosques, particularly during the nightly activities associated with the ongoing fast of Ramadan.” – Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR National Communications Director
According to Hooper, a man allegedly approached a Muslim chaplain at Fort Bragg, showed him a gun, and threatened to blow up the mosque.
Hooper said he was contacted by the imam who was concerned about an incident that happened around 4:30 Thursday afternoon.
Hooper also reports the man “attempted to run over a group of people entering the mosque for the Ramadan evening prayer.”
The man who was threatened, Mohamm Tereen, spoke with CBS North Carolina and expressed his concern.
“Obviously we are very concerned with security. There are a lot of kids here, ladies here, we have almost 200 people. During the month of Ramadan we are here everyday.”
Langford has been charged with ethnic intimidation, assault with a deadly weapon, going armed to terror the public, communicating threats, stalking, and disorderly conduct.
He is being held on a $60,000 bond.
There were no reports of physical injuries.