New York: A 55-year old Bangladeshi-American Imam at a mosque here and his associate have been shot and killed from point blank range by an unidentified gunman in broad daylight amid growing concerns across the country over rising Islamophobic rhetoric.

People gather near the crime scene after 55-year-old Imam Maulana Akonjee and his 64-year-old associate were fatally shot in a daylight attack as they left afternoon prayers. Pic/AP