On June 1, 2009, at approximately 10:19 a.m., Private William Andrew 'Andy' Long, 23, and Private Quinton I. Ezeagwula, 18, were standing outside the U.S. Army recruiting center at 9112 North Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock, Arkansas. Both had recently completed basic training and volunteered for recruiting duties. A black 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac approached, and the driver, later identified as Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, opened fire with an SKS rifle, fatally shooting Long and injuring
Ezeagwula.
Muhammad, a 23-year-old from Little Rock, was arrested shortly after the attack. He was charged with capital murder, attempted capital murder, and 10 counts of unlawful discharge of a weapon. Additionally, he reportedly faced 15 counts of engaging in a terrorist act.
In January 2010, Muhammad wrote to the judge in his case, claiming that he was sent on the attacks by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. He pleaded guilty to the charges of capital murder, though no independent confirmation of his claim was made. His father described him as 'unable to process reality.'
The lead prosecutor for Pulaski County, Arkansas, remarked about Muhammad's attack, 'If you strip away what he says, self-serving or not, it's just an awful killing, it's like a lot of other killings we have.'
In 2015, the Purple Heart was awarded to those who were shot.
