Fort Hood Redux on College Campus

Why would a middle-aged muslim graduate student kill a 77-year-old professor of comparative religion? Did the professor say something about Islam that ignited the fury of Abdulsalam Al-Zahrani? Seems that way.

Student kills prof

December 6, 2009

An upstate graduate student was charged yesterday with stabbing a beloved anthropology professor to death.

Saudi national Abdulsalam Al-Zahrani, 46, was held without bail for the murder of Binghamton University professor Richard Antoun, 77, an expert on comparative religion, authorities said.

Al-Zahrani, a cultural-anthropology grad student, allegedly pulled out a six-inch kitchen knife and stabbed Antoun four times in the chest in the professor's campus office Friday.

Student Devin Sheppard said the suspect was at the scene when cops arrived.

"The police asked the grad student, 'Did you just stab him?' and he said, 'Yes.'"

Gov. Paterson said Antoun would "live on in his writing, his research, and in his students, whose lives he forever changed."

Student Devin Sheppard said the suspect was at the scene when cops arrived.