Pennsylvania

Former Temple Law Student Shoots, Kills Temple Law Grad: Police

A former Temple University law school student is accused of shooting and killing a Temple law grad inside his car in the parking lot of a Delaware business last month.

New Castle County Police announced Wednesday they arrested and charged 25-year-old Benjamin Rauf of Westerlo, New York in connection to the murder of 27-year-old Shazim Uppal.

Rauf was arrested Monday by New York State Police at his home and was awaiting extradition to Delaware. He has been charged with first-degree murder.

A man found dead inside a car in New Castle County graduated from Temple University Law School just last month. NBC10’s Keith Jones has more on the investigation.

On August 24 police were called to the parking lot of Genesis Healthcare on the 100 block of St. Claire Drive in Hockessin, Delaware around 7 p.m. The caller told police a 2007 black Audi A8 was sitting in the parking lot for an unusually long time. Responding officers found Uppal's body in the driver’s seat.

Investigators determined he died from gunshot wounds to the upper torso. They also said his death was not a random act of violence and that they found a "substantial amount of marijuana" inside his car.

 
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Br. Shazim Uppal has passed away إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَShazim was a young member of our community...

Posted by Masjid Isa Ibn-e-Maryam (Newark, DE) on Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Uppal had just graduated from Temple University's Beasley School of Law in July, according to a school spokesperson.  Police say Rauf also attended the Beasley School of Law where he had met Uppal; they said the motive for the shooting was robbery.

Uppal attended Masjid Isa Ibn-e-Maryam, a mosque located in Newark, Delaware. Members of the mosque expressed their condolences on the official Facebook page.

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