World’s first openly gay imam, Muhsin Hendricks, has been shot dead in South Africa.

The 57-year-old cleric, who led a Cape Town mosque known for welcoming LGBTQ+ and marginalised Muslims, was ambushed near the southern city of Gqeberha.

South African police said two masked gunmen fired multiple shots at the vehicle in which Hendricks was a backseat passenger, as security footage shared widely on social media, captured the moment a car blocked Hendricks’ vehicle before an assailant jumped out and repeatedly fired through the back window.

The Police statement revealed that; “Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle.”

Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, which runs the Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque in Cape Town’s Wynberg suburb, also confirmed the imam’s death in what it called a targeted attack.

Reports suggest Hendricks was killed after officiating a lesbian wedding, though police have not confirmed this detail, as the news sparked an outpouring of tributes from the LGBTQ+ community.

The executive director at the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, Julia Ehrt, expressed grief, urging full investigation into what it said may have been a “hate crime.”

“He supported and mentored so many people in South Africa and around the world in their journey to reconcile with their faith, and his life has been a testament to the healing that solidarity across communities can bring in everyone’s lives,” she said.

Hendricks, who came out as gay in 1996, faced significant backlash within South Africa’s Muslim community.