An Iraqi man who fled to America to escape the horrors of the Islamic State was shot dead as he took pictures of the first snowfall he had ever seen . Ahmed Al-Jumaili , 36 , and his new wife moved from Iraq to Dallas , Texas , 20 days ago to be near relatives and start married life in a 'safer place ' . But on Wednesday night , at 11.30pm , a group of men armed with rifles appeared outside the couple 's apartment and opened fire , striking Al-Jumaili in the chest , police said . Authorities are investigating the possibility Al-Jumaili was the victim of a hate crime . Scroll down for video . Al-Jumaili : Ahmed Al-Jumaili , 36 , was fatally shot outside of his Texas apartment while taking pictures of his first snowfall . Wife : Al-Jumaili , his wife , Zahara ( photographed ) , and Al-Jumaili 's brother went outside of his Dallas apartment to take pictures of the snow around 11.30pm when tragedy struck . In a detailed account of the incident posted on Facebook by Alia Salem , executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations ( CAIR ) in the Dallas and Fort Worth area , described the attack . Salem writes that Ahmed took cover behind a pickup truck when a group of five or six young African Americans opened fire . A bullet pierced through the truck and struck Al-Jumaili in the chest , Salem said . 'There was nothing said to Ahmed or his wife and her brother by the perpetrators in advance of the shots , ' Salem wrote . 'Including no verbal insults or derogatory slurs . ' Residents reported seeing two to four men entering the Walnut Blend Apartment complex on foot through a vehicle gate prior to the shooting , CNN reports . An investigation is ongoing and police say it is unknown whether the incident was a hate crime . Reunited : After a year of separation , Al-Jumaili ( right ) and Zahara ( left ) reunited three weeks ago , ready to begin a new chapter in their lives , away from the horrors of ISIS and other terrorist groups , only to experience tragedy in America . Refuge : Al-Jumaili ( right ) and Zahara ( left ) married just 16 months ago , and the two planned to move to the U.S. , seeking refuge from the Islamic State . A LaunchGood fundraising page tells the touching story of Al-Jumaili and Zahara . The two married just 16 months ago , and planned to move to the U.S. , seeking refuge from the Islamic State . Zahara relocated to Texas to be with family and Al-Jumaili stayed behind in Baghdad to save enough money to follow his wife . After a year of separation , the two reunited three weeks ago , ready to begin a new chapter in their lives , away from the horrors of ISIS and other terrorist groups , only to experience tragedy in America . Salem wrote on Facebook that only Al-Jumaili 's stepfather , who lives in Dallas , is working and Al-Jumaili 's death has left Zahara with not only an emotional burden , but a financial one as well . The fundraiser has raised more than $ 9,000 toward Al-Jumaili 's memorial and family fund . Truck : Ahmed took cover behind a pickup truck when shots rang out , but a bullet pierced straight through the truck ( photographed ) and struck Al-Jumaili in the chest . Police say they have very little to go on in the investigation and are enlisting the help of the public to solve the crime . North Texas Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of $ 5,000 for information leading to an arrest or indictment . The attack has some Muslim activists shaken up , the Los Angeles Times reports , with some pointing to the recent murder of three Muslim students in North Carolina . The neighborhood where Al-Jumaili was killed has a large immigration population , according to the Times , and northern Dallas is home to a large number of Iraqi refugees .
Ahmed Al-Jumaili , 36 , was shot dead outside his Iraq apartment while taking pictures of his first snowfall on Wednesday night . Authorities are probing the possibility he was the victim of a hate crime . He and his wife married 16 months ago , moved to America in February . They wanted to live in a 'safer place ' as ISIS ravages Baghdad , Texas .