Newlywed Rabia Mohammed shot dead by muggers when she refused to let go of her purse

A newlywed was shot dead by muggers when she refused to give up her purse - because it contained a cellphone filled with her husband's romantic texts, which she always saved.

Rabia Mohammed, 23, was killed as she walked with her husband, Shazam Khan, to his mother's house in Queens, New York, only a mile from where they lived.

Three men wearing red hooded sweatshirts 'came out of nowhere' and seized the couple. Mr Khan struggled to break free from his attacker, but he was too late to save his wife.

'She has four cellphones that are full. When she doesn't have any memory left, she gets a new phone.

The couple, who were married last October and lived in Queens Village, were walking on 204th Street, Hollis at around 8.30pm on Sunday when they were attacked by the three muggers.

Mr Khan said the men 'came out of nowhere'. One attacker grabbed his wife, another took seized him and a third demanded she give him  her purse - but she refused to let go of it.

Mr Khan said he fought to get free, but as he leapt towards his wife to save her he saw 'two flashes' of gunfire and she was shot twice in the chest.

Police told the New York Daily News she was taken to Jamaica Hospital but she died of her injuries.

The attackers fled with her purse, but no arrests have yet been made. Her husband was not hurt in the mugging.

Mr Khan's brother, who would only give his first name, Shameed, told the Daily News his sister-in-law did clerical work, and his brother is a shopkeeper in Manhattan.

He said: 'She's a loyal wife and a good person. I have no idea why anybody would want to attack them.

'They wanted to have children. They are both loving people. I am still trying to cope with this. This should not have happened at all.'

He said he couldn't imagine Mrs Mohammed would have fought back: 'I don't think she put up a fight. They never go out looking for trouble.'

Mr Khan told the Post: 'As bad as it was, at least I was with her when her time came. I would never wish for someone's wife to die in their arms. It's a terrible thing.'