Bio

Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad was born Carlos Leon Bledsoe on July 9, 1985, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was raised by his parents, Melvin and Linda Bledsoe, in a Baptist family. His family owned a tour bus business, and his early life was described as stable. He graduated from Craigmont High School in 2003. After that, he attended Tennessee State University for a short time. In 2004, he converted to Islam and later changed his name to Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad.

In 2007, Muhammad traveled to Yemen. He said he went there to teach English, learn Arabic, and study Islam. He stayed in Yemen for about 16 months. While there, he married Reena Abdullah Ahmed Farag, a teacher from South Yemen.

On November 14, 2008, Muhammad was arrested at a checkpoint in Yemen. Authorities said he had overstayed his visa and had a fraudulent Somali passport. He was held for more than two months before being sent back to the United States in January 2009. After returning to the U.S., Muhammad stayed with his parents in Memphis. He later moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, where his father helped him get work through the family business.

Because of his trip to Yemen and his detention there, Muhammad was later reviewed by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. He later claimed that he was connected to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, but this claim was not confirmed in court. Prosecutors handled the case as a state murder case, not a federal terrorism case.

Murder Story

On June 1, 2009, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad drove to a U.S. Army recruiting office at 9112 North Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock, Arkansas. Private William Andrew “Andy” Long, 23, and Private Quinton Ezeagwula, 18, were standing outside the recruiting center in uniform. Both men had recently completed basic training and were helping at the recruiting office.

At about 10:19 a.m., Muhammad stopped near the recruiting office and opened fire with an SKS rifle. Private Long was shot and killed. Private Ezeagwula was wounded but survived. Witnesses reported hearing several gunshots before seeing Muhammad’s vehicle leave the area.

Police arrested Muhammad the same day after a short pursuit in Little Rock. The FBI confirmed that he was arrested for the murder of Private Long and the attempted murder of Private Ezeagwula. Authorities later found weapons and ammunition in his vehicle, including an SKS rifle, another rifle, handguns, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

After his arrest, Muhammad admitted that he shot the soldiers. He told investigators that he wanted to kill military personnel and described the attack as retaliation connected to U.S. military actions overseas. He later claimed that the shooting was tied to jihad and said he was connected to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, but that claim was not independently confirmed in court.

Muhammad was charged in Arkansas state court with capital murder, attempted capital murder, and other related offenses. Prosecutors initially sought the death penalty. His defense attorneys argued that he suffered from a mental disorder, but during trial proceedings Muhammad changed his plea to guilty.

On July 25, 2011, Muhammad pleaded guilty in court. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the capital murder of Private William Long. He also received additional life sentences and extra prison time for the other charges connected to the shooting.