Harun Nasrullah

A Muslim American family believes their house in Houston, Texas, was sprayed with bullets twice in a month because of their religion. The most recent incident happened about 10 pm on January 28 at the home in Oaks of Green Traila, Katy.

“This is the second time they shot in my house,” said homeowner Zeya Albayati. Albayati says he and his wife were sitting down to watch television when they came under fire, again. Rapid gunshots from behind their fence sent bullets flying through their back window. A ladder was later found in front of the fence. Albayati said that he grabbed his children and started running for safety.

Fortunately, no one was injured.The family has four children, two of which were home at the time. On Christmas Day, a similar incident occurred at the front of the house. Surveillance video from that day shows a car stopping at an intersection near the home; puffs of glass, smoke and debris can also be seen as the shots are fired.

Precinct 5 Harris County Constable Ted Heap said that it is too early to tell if this is a “hate crime,” but that his investigators take the incidents seriously and are looking into the shootings, which come two weeks after a nearby mosque the family attend was also sprayed with bullets.

The Muslim American Society-Katy Centre (MAS) Mosque was shot at on January 14.A bullet hole was found in MAS front wall and in the windshield of a truck that was parked in their lot around 4:30 pm according to the sheriff’s office. Mosque employees believe the shot was fired earlier that day, around 3 am.