( CNN ) A 17-year-old male fatally shot an Iraqi man watching his first snowfall in his new American hometown , targeting him and then continuing to fire as the immigrant rushed to get inside , Dallas police said Friday . Authorities do n't believe the suspected shooter knew the victim , Ahmed Al-Jumaili , Dallas Police Maj. Jeff Cotner said reporters , nor do they believe he knew Al-Jumaili 's ethnicity . And they have n't given any indication Al-Jumaili had anything to do with what led the teen to head out armed in the first place -- a purported shooting at his girlfriend 's apartment , if that in fact happened . Cotner said that , while there have nearby shootings that might be tied to gangs , `` we ( have been ) unable to substantiate ... whether or not there was an actual shooting at the apartment . '' What police do believe , based on witness testimony and other evidence , is that the teenager shot and killed Al-Jumaili , for whatever reason . `` When he saw Mr. Al-Jumaili and their family , he targeted them , he shot at them with intent , '' Cotner said of the suspect , who is under arrest . `` And as Mr. Al-Jumaili ran back toward his apartment , he tracked him with his rifle and continued to fire . '' Dallas police named the suspected shooter , though CNN is not identifying him yet since he 's a minor and it 's not clear if he 'll be charged as an adult . The teen turns 18 in May , police said . Until the fatal shots ended Al-Jumalli 's life , March 4 had been a day of fun and joy for Al-Jumaili and his family . The 36-year-old , who had immigrated to the United States 20 days earlier , joined his brother and wife taking pictures in the parking lot of a Dallas apartment complex amid the snow . `` Just like all of us , a pretty snowfall brings the child out in us , '' Cotner said . Then came the gunshots and Al-Jumaili 's cry , `` I 'm hit ! '' A few hours later , the Iraqi immigrant was dead . Three days later , a Dallas detective found surveillance footage from a nearby elementary school showing four people coming from the apartment complex . The black-and-white soundless surveillance video shows one person apparently carrying a rifle is seen running just ahead of a second person seemingly carrying a hand gun , Dallas police Officer Monica Cordova said . Approximately 13 seconds later , another person comes into view and passes by the camera , followed by a fourth individual who is walking , she said . Then , on Tuesday , a witness walked into the Richardson , Texas , police station and provided a nickname of a possible suspect -- Kaca . That nickname eventually led to the 17-year-old police believe shot Al-Jumaili . Investigators interviewed him for the first time Thursday , at which time he denied ever leaving his girlfriend 's apartment . Then , authorities got the OK to search his apartment and found an unfired rifle cartridge , Cotner said . The teen was brought to Dallas police headquarters for another interview , and he changed his story . Yes , he had been at the scene of Al-Jumaili 's killing . But no , he had n't done it . Yet that 's not what someone who 'd been with him said . According to Cotner , this witness said he saw Al-Jumaili taking pictures in the snow , . `` The witness stated that he observed ( the suspect ) raise the rifle , '' the police major said . `` ... The witness then heard one shot , followed by several more . '' Then all of them bolted . The incident caused waves in Dallas ' Muslim community . While police have n't given any indication this was a hate crime , though Alia Salem -- executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in the Dallas and Fort Worth area -- noted `` a heightened sense of awareness with regard to hate crimes against Muslims . '' Speaking Friday on behalf of Al-Jumaili 's family , Salem expressed gratitude to police and others for their work on the case and said `` our community has been at a loss for words and very saddened by this tragic death . '' `` We just want to see justice happen here , '' she said . `` And this is the first step in that . '' CNN 's Pat St. Claire and Vivian Kuo contributed to this report .
Ahmed Al-Jumaili , who 'd come from Iraq weeks earlier , was shot while outside watching snow . Police : Suspected shooter went out angry thinking someone shot his girlfriend 's apartment . There 's no indication Al-Jumaili had anything to do with that or knew the suspected shooter .