Jersey City Shooting: Names of Attackers Released

The investigation into the attack in Jersey City on Tuesday that left four dead in addition to the attackers has continued into Wednesday, with authorities slow to release information as they work to trace the events of the shooting and the motives that led to it.

Law enforcement sources told NBC 4 NY early Wednesday that the attackers have been identified as David Anderson and Francine Graham. The sources said that Anderson had been known to be a member in the past of the “Black Hebrew Israelite movement,” an African religious movement that claims the mantle of Judaism and is often hostile to identifiable Jews.

The New York Times had reported earlier that officials had determined that the suspect’s social media pages had contained anti-police and anti-Jewish messages. Reports say that religious writings were also recovered from the U-Haul truck used in the attack.

In a series of messages posted to Twitter early Wednesday, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop wrote: “Last night after extensive review of our CCTV system it has now become clear from the cameras that these two individuals targeted the Kosher grocery location on MLK Dr – the 2 JCPD officers that were on a foot post one block away immediately responded/engaged and prevented the perpetrators from leaving that location and harming any further civilians.”

In a further series of messages posted shortly before 10am, Fulop added: “Some people have speculated that the actors were of the Muslim faith but at this point there is zero indication to that being accurate.”

He again noted that: “What I shared today and what I do know from the CCTV cameras and our info on the Jersey City side. Had the 2 JCPD officers on the foot post one block south not responded immediately and had they not run TOWARDS the gun fire I’m 100% certain that this situation would have been far more tragic than what it already is. There is enough info to know this could have been far worse.”