HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Family and friends of the man killed outside of a Hillsborough County mosque Monday spoke out following his funeral Tuesday evening, calling on county authorities to deliver justice in the form of an arrest.

Mourners at the funeral for Rafat Saeed prayed and some cried as a large group gathered outside the Al Qassam Mosque carrying his casket.

Once they arrived at the cemetery and lowered that casket into the ground, those mourners turned their grief into protest.

They held up signs saying “We Need Justice” and demanded that leaders at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office take a long, hard look at the case and arrest the shooter. 

“How come the Hillsborough County sheriff did not press charges?" said family friend Manwar Alshammari. "They release him next hour or next day? What’s the reason, we would like to know.”

Many questions, few answers 

Investigators say Saeed was shot and killed outside of the Islamic Society of Tampa Bay Mosque early Monday morning.

The shooter, who protesters say knew Saeed, was not arrested, and is reportedly cooperating with the investigation.

Late Monday afternoon a representative from the Islamic Society of Tampa Bay distanced the organization from the shooting, saying this was a personal argument that happened in a parking lot, not inside the mosque.

They say the shooter, who volunteers as security there, wasn’t working for them when he reportedly fired those shots. They doubled down on that statement today, but people close to Saeed aren’t buying it.

“[Saeed] was on his way to his home through the parking lot to his house," said family friend, Rian Haomodi. "It’s not like he went to the prayer to talk to them or looking for trouble. No, the other man was looking for trouble and waiting for him.”

The group claims they’ve learned about several complaints against the shooter, involving aggressive behavior at the mosque.

Mosque involved in cover-up?

Haomodi went on to say they all believe the mosque is trying to perpetuate a cover-up.

“Because they don’t want to pay compensation to the family," he said. "They’re a business. They have insurance. They don’t want to claim responsibility. That is the shady way.”

A representative from the mosque responded to those claims, saying there’s no cover up and if someone has a concern they should take it up with law enforcement. 

Many of the people who attended the funeral said if the sheriff’s office doesn’t arrest the shooter soon, they’ll make their way down to the state attorney’s office and demand justice there. 

We’re told an off-duty deputy was working as security at the mosque when the shooting happened. Investigators said they recovered a firearm from the scene and the suspect did cooperate.

No charges have been filed and this investigation is still ongoing.