On Sunday, June 18th, Nabra Hassanen, a 17-year-old Muslim teen from Reston, Virgina and a group of friends were preparing to observe Ramadan at a local mosque.

According to The Washington Post, Hassanen and her friends were approached by a motorist after leaving a restaurant early Sunday morning, and there was a dispute. The teens fled the scene to the safety of their mosque, only to discover that in the shuffle, Hassanen had disappeared.

Immediately, an All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) official reported the teen's disappearance to authorities who extensively began a searching for Hassanen.

Around 3 p.m. on Sunday, Fairfax County police located what appeared to be the remains of the missing teen in a pond in Sterling, Virginia. Police arrested Darwin A. Torres on charges of assault and murder of the young Muslim woman.

During the course of their investigation, officials recovered some evidence, and it would seem that the cause of Hassanen's death was a metal baseball bat. Officials have yet to confirm more details pertaining to the murder and the cause of death.

ADAMS and various social groups have released statements expressing their heartbreak during this time of despair. The Women's Initiative for Self-Empowerment released this statement:

“While the incident has yet to be labeled a hate crime, right now in America, black Muslim women, especially those from marginalized communities are continuously targeted and attacked with malicious intent. This murder is yet another wake-up call in the chain of events of Muslim women viciously attacked in hate crimes across the country.”

Tammy Wright, a spokesperson for area police said that because "nothing suggests that this girl or the group was targeted because of who they are or what they believe," that the murder was not being investigated as a hate crime.

Our condolences to the family and loved-ones. May peace and justice prevail.