1 dead in Ohio mosque shooting, police say attack not linked to building

Police later said the shooting happened in the parking lot of an apartment complex next to the mosque.

2 min readOct 20, 2026 07:34 AM IST First published on: Oct 20, 2026 at 07:17 AM IST

Law enforcement respond to the scene of a shooting. (AP Photo)

One person was shot dead on October 19 in Columbus, Ohio, near a mosque, but police say the killing was not linked to the mosque or the people inside, according to The Associated Press (AP). Police said it took place in the car park of an apartment block next to the building. Federal and local officers had gone to the area, northeast of downtown, after first reports of a shooting at the mosque.

Police told AP that the shooting took place in the car park of an apartment complex that sits next to the mosque. They said it was not connected to the house of worship or to anyone inside.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said in a post on X that its agents were responding to a report of a shooting at the mosque. Federal and local authorities arrived in the area. AP said the ATF did not immediately reply to a phone message asking for more details.

Sgt. James Fuqua said an event was under way inside the mosque at the time, and that it was separate from what happened outside. He said it was important to make clear that the shooting “had nothing to do with an attack on the mosque itself”, according to AP.

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