Man Questioned in Fatal Shootings of New York City Imam and Assistant After Saturday Prayers

New York City police questioned a man in connection with Saturday's fatal shootings of a local Imam and his assistant, PEOPLE confirms.

Police say the man was arrested for a separate incident and questioned while in custody about the deaths of Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his 64-year-old assistant, Thara Uddin.

"No one has been formally arrested for the murder of the Imam and the friend," a New York Police Department spokesman tells PEOPLE, adding, "There is an individual for an unrelated arrest, the individual has been questioned in regard to the double homicide."

The spokesman did not provide details about what prompted police to question the man about the shootings. It is unclear if officials believe the man was involved in the crime.

The mosque leader and Uddin were killed near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens as they left afternoon prayers dressed in traditional religious garb, the Associated Press reports. The mosque serves a largely Bangladeshi community.

• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

The pair was approached from behind by a man of "medium complexion" who wore a dark shirt and shorts, officials said at a Sunday press conference.

"There's nothing in preliminary indications that would indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said at the press conference.

Officials released a sketch of the suspected shooter: a dark-haired man with a beard and glasses. It is unclear whether the man questioned by police resembles the sketch.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio denounced the killings in a statement, saying police would bring the killer to justice.

"This weekend our city was stung by violence that devastated a congregation and unsettled a community. When religious leaders are targeted, we all bear the pain those in Ozone Park feel most personally today," the statement read.

"While we do not yet know the motivation for the murders of Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin, we do know that our Muslim communities are in the perpetual crosshairs of bigotry."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is expected to announce a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter, the AP reports.

The killings have rattled the Bangladeshi Muslim community, and Akonjee's son, 21-year-old Naim, is desperate for answers.

"He always wants peace," Naim told the AP of his father through tears. "Why did they kill my father?"