REVEALED: Two mosques reported Muslim convert's 'radicalization' to Homeland Security and FBI months before he 'launched unprovoked attack' on transit officer

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A man accused of killing a transit officer in Colorado showed such alarming signs of 'radicalization' that members of two different mosques reported him to both the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. 

Joshua Cummings, 37, was arrested Tuesday in Denver, Colorado, just 20 minutes after he allegedly shot dead Scott Von Lanken, 56, a security contractor working for the city's Regional Transportation District.

Cummings was reportedly kicked out of a Texas mosque that relayed his concerning behavior to the FBI before the leader of another mosque in Denver wrote a letter to Homeland Security.

Joshua Cummings, 37, (left) was arrested Tuesday in Denver, Colorado, just 20 minutes after he allegedly shot dead transit officer Scott Von Lanken, 56 (right)

He such alarming signs of 'radicalization' that members of two different mosques reported him to both the Department of Homeland Security (above, a letter sent in December) and the FBI

Investigators interviewed Joshua Cummings, 37, in December after members of a Denver-area mosque reported concerns about him to federal authorities, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press. 

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

A leader at the mosque emailed the Department of Homeland Security to say a man identifying himself only as a Muslim convert named Joshua, from Pampa, Texas, made worrisome statements, according to a redacted copy of the email released Thursday by Qusair Mohamedbhai, an attorney for the mosque.

'He seems pretty advanced in his path of radicalization,' the mosque leader wrote.

'He also feels that it okay to fight now (not jihad/struggle,but actually fight), here to establish the rule of Islam. He was also quoting a verse from the Quran (2:54) where he claimed Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) was asked to kill his entire community (wrong).'

At an open house earlier in December, Joshua publicly rebuked a speaker 'as being soft' on Shariah law, the letter said.

'After talking to him for some time, he agreed to meet with some Imams to clarify his thoughts,' the person wrote. 

'I am hoping to arrange a meeting of one of the stronger/more knowledgeable Imams with him to see if he can be mellowed a bit. But I doubt it would help. He is not listening to reason.'

The writer attached photos and a video of the man.

 

Last July, he tweeted that an Arizona police officer accused of brutality should be put to death for treason (above), but he published a post in September 2015 in support of police (above)

A motive has not been established and officials said they were looking into whether Von Lanken could have been targeted because he was a member of law enforcement

Mohamedbhai said the Denver-area mosque's report to the Department of Homeland Security highlighted an ongoing working relationship between law enforcement and the region's Muslim community. 

Federal law enforcement 'took this alert very seriously,' he said, but did not know what actions were taken after the report.

The FBI declined to comment and the Department of Homeland Security didn't respond to a request for comment.

Before the Denver report, members of a Texas mosque reported concerning behavior by Cummings to the FBI, the law enforcement official said. 

Cummings (above) opened a jiu jitsu academy in Texas, and told his friend Timothy he felt discriminated against for being Muslim and wanted to move to Colorado, KDVR reported

Von Lanken was talking to two women near Union Station on Tuesday night as they caught a late night train home and asked him about the different routes.

Cummings allegedly came up from behind, stuck a handgun to the officer's neck and fired, according to Denver police. 

Barb Archer of the Denver Police Department's Major Crimes Division called the attack 'completely unprovoked'.

Von Lanken, who was a security officer who struggled to find work as a pastor, died on his way to the hospital.  

Security camera footage helped police find and arrest Cummings just 20 minutes later. He was found with Islamic writings, according to 9News, and court documents state he was carrying a loaded 9mm pistol. 

Cummings is being held without bond on suspicion of murder and hasn't been charged yet. He is expected to make his first court appearance Friday morning. It's not clear if he has a lawyer yet. 

Denver police have not revealed a possible motive for the shooting or commented on how his alleged radicalization may have played a role in the shooting. 

 Von Lanken, who was a security officer who struggled to find work as a pastor, died on his way to the hospital after he was shot in the neck in an 'unprovoked' attack on Tuesday night

Von Lanken was married and had two daughters

Officials have said they were looking into whether Von Lanken, who was armed and wearing a dark blue uniform similar to those worn by police, could have been targeted because he was a member of law enforcement.

Cummings had social media posts that included both messages hostile to and supportive of law enforcement. 

Last July, he tweeted that an Arizona police officer accused of brutality should be put to death for treason, but he published a post in September 2015 in support of police and the military in response to the murder of a police officer in his home.

The manager of a motel in the Denver suburb of Englewood where Cummings had stayed recently and also part of last year said Cummings was 'always a positive guy' who volunteered to pay the rent for any tenants strapped for cash. 

Gary Kim said Cummings told him he was Muslim during long talks at the front desk or the small lobby at the Holiday Motel, recalling that Cummings did not want to give any negative connotations to the faith.

'He would say everyone should have a right to practice their religion as long as that religion isn't imputing on someone else's life,' Kim said. 

Cummings was born in Pampa, Texas, and went on to join the army, where he was ranked as a sergeant and was at one point stationed in Germany.

He returned to his hometown and opened a jiu jitsu academy in 2015. 

Cummings' friend Timothy told KDVR he ran into his childhood friend a few months ago. Cummings told him he was moving to Colorado because he felt discriminated against and thought people were trying to get him to leave.

Timothy told the local news station Cummings appeared high strung during their conversation.  

Cummings had a wife, who followed him to Colorado. She is being questioned by investigators, 9News reported.

Cummings was charged with domestic violence in 2010 in Austin, Texas, but the case was dismissed.