Who Is Kori Ali Muhammad? Black Man Who Shot Dead 3 White Men In Fresno Had History Of Criminal Record

A man identified as Kori Ali Muhammad shot dead three white men Tuesday in Fresno, California, in a suspected hate crime, local authorities said. Muhammad, who is black, was taken into custody shortly after the shooting.

Muhammad, also known as Kori Taylor, fired 16 rounds in one minute at four different locations within a block. He also shouted “Allahu Akbar” — which translates to “God is great” in Arabic — during his arrest, according to Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer. However, the shootings had “nothing to do with terrorism in spite of the statement he made” and the incident was “solely based on race,” Dyer said, adding that the suspect wanted to kill as many white people as possible.

“These individuals who were chosen today did not do anything to deserve what they got,” Dyer said. “These were unprovoked attacks by an individual that was intent on carrying out homicides today. He did that.”

Muhammad, 39, reportedly posted several racially charged statements such as “#LetBlackPeopleGo” and encouraged “black warriors” to “mount up.”

Hours before Tuesday’s shootings, police released a news brief stating Muhammad was armed and dangerous and wanted in the fatal shooting of a security guard at a Motel 6 last week.

According to Dyer, most people had “disassociated” themselves from Muhammad, who had been living on the streets. However, Desiree Martinez, a former classmate of Muhammad, told CBS News that the suspect was outgoing, down to earth, peaceful and into health and nutrition when she met him three years ago during a media training program in Fresno. Martinez also said that people loved Muhammad and whenever he saw someone eating unhealthy food, he would advise them to take up healthy lifestyle.

Muhammad had a history of criminal record. A Los Angeles Times report Tuesday said that Muhammad was charged with drug and weapons crimes in 2005 and was indicted by a federal grand jury in February that year for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. He was also indicted for possession of a firearm for drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.