A day after a gunman had fired multiple shots at him, Imam Shuaib Din stood before a packed room of congregants to assure them of God’s grace and goodness.
“God is the ultimate protector,” the spiritual leader told the Muslim faithful who had gathered Tuesday evening at the Utah Islamic Center in West Jordan amid heightened security for their nightly Ramadan prayers.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Imam Shuaib Din speaks about his recent attack as he stands before people gathered for Ramadan at Utah Islamic Society in West Jordan on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.
His words were meant to calm worshippers’ fears, Din said, after they heard him describe Monday’s harrowing ordeal in which an assailant had waited for him outside his home. The man unleashed multiple shots from close range into Din’s car as the cleric drove out of his garage. He then attacked the imam again on the street, firing even more bullets at Din’s vehicle.
The leader of Utah’s largest mosque went on to explain why there was so much security at the service and all the additional measures they were taking.
“There are a lot of police officers working overtime to protect us,” Din said, “and a great deal of cooperation between local departments and the FBI.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) People pray at Utah Islamic Society for Ramadan in West Jordan on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.
In his speech, the imam “thanked the community for their support,” he told The Salt Lake Tribune on Wednesday. “The congregation seemed relieved.”
The hunt for the shooter continues. Police have released photos of what they believe to be the suspect’s vehicle, which they described as “a white passenger car, [which] may have minor damage or a piece of the vehicle hanging below the front bumper on the passenger side.”
It appears to be “a white Kia Optima,” they said.
(Sandy Police Department) A photo of a Kia Optima that Sandy police believe was used by a man who shot at Imam Shuaib Din, leader of Utah Islamic Society in West Jordan, on Monday evening.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect.
Security also has been tightened at other area mosques.
According to an online announcement from the Khadeeja Islamic Center, police from West Valley City and Salt Lake City will be present at Khadeeja in West Valley City and at Masjid Al-Noor in Salt Lake City for at least “the next several nights.”
(Alex Gallivan | Special to the Tribune) West Valley City's Khadeeja Islamic Center, shown in 2017, is also under increased security,
Salt Lake City officers also plan to cover other Salt Lake City mosques, the online message said, such as Madina Masjid and Maryam Masjid (Islamic Society of Bosniaks).
These Islamic organizations “will continue to work on arranging security presence for the remainder of Ramadan,” the message read, “including during Friday prayers.”
The Islamic holy month of fasting and prayer will continue through March 19.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) People pray at Utah Islamic Society for Ramadan in West Jordan on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.
As of Wednesday, police still do not have a suspect in the shooting.
For his part, Din remains wary and watchful.
“I find myself looking over my back, checking in my rearview mirror,” he said. “I am 54 years old, born in the U.S., have always worn traditional [Muslim] clothing, but I have never felt fear like this.”
He is confident the fear will eventually “go away,” he said, but right now “it’s not a good feeling.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Imam Shuaib Din speaks about his recent attack as he stands before people gathered for Ramadan at Utah Islamic Society in West Jordan on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.