BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Hundreds gathered on Thursday at the Masjid Al-Salam mosque in Buffalo to pray for 26-year-old Aaisha Abdulla of Cheektowaga and her two young sons, who were found dead in their home on Monday afternoon.
Youssef Mohamed, 4, went to Maryvale Elementary. His brother, Saif Mohamed, was 3.
Police arrested Abdulla's husband and the children's father, Saleh Mohamed, in connection with the killings.
Mohamed is also charged in the killing of Shukri Muthana, a Grant Street deli owner who was buried on Wednesday.
Mourners carried coffins out of the mosque and into waiting hearses. Family members said they are not yet ready to publicly share photos of the boys.
Lackawanna City Council Member Amira Muflahi spoke after Thursday's funeral.
"We just buried our beloved sister and her two beautiful children," Muflahi said. "Words cannot express how deeply saddening that is to the whole community. It's absolutely heartbreaking."
Mohamed Albanna, a family friend from Lackawanna, said the entire community is devastated.
"I'm shocked. Especially with the two little kids," Albanna said. "It really shook us. There's not one member of the community who's not feeling awful."
WATCH: 'Absolutely heartbreaking': Hundreds mourn mother, two young sons killed in Cheektowaga
Dr. Khalid Qazi of the Muslim Public Affairs Council said the community is grappling with difficult questions.
"Yesterday, you saw the outpouring of emotions in the Lackawana mosque. Today it's going to be even worse because today we're dealing with the mother and the two young kids," Qazi said. "The funeral of three innocent lives. Why would it happen? What were the reasons? Could we have done something to avoid it? What can we do to make sure this doesn't happen again?"
I asked Muflahi what Western New York can do for the family.
"A lot of prayer, a lot of support, seeking help when possible, and looking for the signs of when we can prevent another tragedy, tragedy like this, from happening," Muflahi said.
This is an ongoing investigation.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
