(DALLAS, TX, 10/19/2022) – The Dallas Fort-Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-DFW) today welcomed a federal grand jury’s indictment of Anthony Paz Torres on hate crime charges for the 2015 murder of a Muslim man in Dallas.
A federal grand jury indicted Torres, 37, with federal hate crimes after he allegedly killed a Muslim man and attempted to kill several others in a shooting at a Dallas tire shop in 2015. Torres had reportedly gone to the business a few days earlier, but was told by law enforcement officers to not return. When he returned on Christmas Eve, Torres allegedly shot and killed one individual and attempted to kill three others with his firearm. As he was leaving, he reportedly attempted to kill a fourth individual with his motor vehicle. The indictment further alleges that Torres committed these offenses because of the actual or perceived religion of another person.
If found guilty, Torres faces a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment on the death-resulting hate crime and gun charge counts.
“We welcome the federal indictment and hate crimes charges against Mr. Torres for allegedly killing a member of the Muslim community and attempting to kill others simply because of their faith,” said Faizan Syed, Executive Director of CAIR-DFW. “We applaud law enforcement and the Assistant Attorney General for taking an important step towards justice in this case. Hate crime charges are significant in cases like this as the victims are not only those who were directly targeted but all members of the targeted community. We continue to pray for the victims’ families and hope they find solace in this ruling.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR-DFW Executive Director Faizan Syed, cell (314)403-2909, office (469)290-2909,