Posts under the trending hashtag #JusticeforElijah, are calling for the death of a 17-year-old to be labeled as a hate crime.

The nationally trending hashtag also contains posts asking for the suspect's mental illness to not remain the focal point of his reasoning in the killing of 17-year-old Elijah Al-Amin, who was stabbed at a Peoria Circle K for listening to rap music.

Multiple news outlets and social media posts from what appear to be family name Al-Amin as the stabbing victim. Peoria police have not responded to repeated requests about the incident.

On Facebook, Mae Al-Amin, who identified herself as Elijah Al-Amin's sister, thanked supporters and friends.

"Although he isn’t present in this world - we feel him all around us. He’s happy, he’s strong & he’s SAFE," she wrote. "Elijah is in a place way more beautiful (and) he has a bigger, better seat to watch out for all of us. He served his purpose here."

Family and friends held a short prayer for Al-Amin — whose body was wrapped in cloth — on Monday afternoon at the Islamic Community Center in Tempe. Al-Amin's body was then placed inside a nearby hearse that drove to an unknown location shortly thereafter.

Imraan Siddiqi, executive director of the Arizona Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), said he agrees the homicide should be investigated as a hate crime.

"When you talk about an individual attacked by their type of music ...this is very radicalized language that’s being used. There is definitely a hate component to the crime," Siddiqi said. "Our first thoughts are we are horrified of the story as well as it's an outright tragedy."

Siddiqi said he believes crimes like this are not classified as hate crimes often enough, skewing numbers.

"It's an ongoing issue where we feel the hate crime numbers are skewed. I feel this crime falls into the realm of hate violence. ... It's important for the classification and what the root causes of hate violence are for these types of attacks," Siddiqi said

Amanda Steele, a spokeswoman for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, said Arizona doesn't have a separate charge for hate crimes, but said it can be an aggravating factor in sentencing decisions. However, Steele said it was far too early to say whether such a detail would factor into the case.

The suspect, Michael Paul Adams, was homeless, and Jacie Cotterell, his attorney, said he did not receive mental health resources he needed.

She said that he was “set up for failure."

Bill Lamoreaux, a spokesman with the Arizona Department of Corrections, said in a written statement Friday that Adams “was not designated seriously mentally ill.”

Adam's mental health is not an excuse for his actions, said CAIR Arizona operations coordinator Araceli Villanueva.

Records: Suspect felt 'unsafe'

The incident occurred July 4 when Adams, 27, admitted to stabbing Al-Amin after he heard him playing rap music in his vehicle in the Circle K parking lot, according to police records filed in Superior Court.

Adams told police rap music makes him feel "unsafe" because he had been attacked by people who listen to rap music in the past, the records state. He also said people who listen to rap music are a threat to him and the community.

The police reports states Adams admitted Al-Amin did not say or do anything to threaten him before he used his pocket knife to stab the victim in the back then slit his throat. Al-Amin was taken to the hospital, but was pronounced dead at 2:05 a.m.

Adams was booked into a Maricopa County jail on suspicion of first-degree premeditated murder. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in court July 15.

Adams’ criminal history includes theft, shoplifting, marijuana violation, disorderly conduct, assault with a weapon and aggravated assault of a correctional employee, according to Maricopa County Superior Court records.

"This teenager was too young to be slaughtered this way. We (people of color) shouldn’t be scared and always in fear of what’s going to happen to us," Villanueva said.

Breaking news reporter Perry Vandell contributed to this report.

Breaking news intern Aubrey Carpenter can be reached at Aubrey.Carpenter@arizonarepublic.com and can be followed at aubreycarp1.

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