Army veteran sentenced to 55 years for road rage shooting death of Muslim man

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A suburban Indianapolis Army veteran has been sentenced to 55 years in prison for the road rage shooting death of a Muslim man after witnesses said he hurled ethnic and religious insults at the victim. Dustin Passarelli of Plainfield learned his sentence Wednesday after being convicted in May of murder and a felony firearm enhancement in the February 2019 shooting death of 32-year-old Mustafa Ayoubi. Prosecutors say Passarelli followed Ayoubi off Interstate 465, and a verbal altercation took place. Witnesses said Passarelli made several Islamophobic remarks, including “Go back to your country,” and used hate speech before opening fire.