>> Cathy: ON THURSDAY OF THIS WEEK DERRICK THOMPSON WAS CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE COUNTS OF VEHICULAR HOMICIDE IN LAST FRIDAY'S MINNEAPOLIS CAR CRASH THAT KILLED FIVE YOUNG WOMEN.

THE WOMEN HAD CLOSE TIES TO THE DAR AL FAROOQ ISLAMIC CENTER.

THE MOSQUE HAS RAISED MORE THAN $400,000 FOR THE VICTIMS' FAMILIES.

WITH US RIGHT NOW IS A LEADER FROM THE DAR AL-FAROOQ ISLAMIC CENTER ABDULAHI FARAH.

WE'RE TERRIBLY SORRY, THIS IS A HUGE HUGE LOSS TO THE COMMUNITY.

>> DEFINITELY.

IT'S BEEN A VERY SHOCKING AND TRAGIC EVENT.

WE'VE NEVER THOUGHT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN, BUT IT HAPPENED.

AND REALLY SINCE THAT NIGHT WHEN I GOT THE CALL AND MOST OF OUR LEADERSHIP WENT TO THE SCENE, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WAS LOOKING FOR ANSWERS, BUT WE WERE REALLY JUST HAD NO ANSWERS OF HOW SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN SO SUDDEN.

AND, YEAH, IT'S STILL, THE SHOCK'S STILL THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

>> Eric: WHAT DO YOU TELL THE SURVIVORS, THE FAMILY MEMBERS?

>> THE FAMILIES I THINK HE FIRST REACTION WE HAD WAS TO SUPPORT THE FAMILIES AND SO THAT THEY CAN GO THROUGH THIS, YOU KNOW, HORRIFIC, HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE AND REALLY TELL THEM TO, YOU KNOW, LEAN BACK IN FAITH AND LEAN BACK ON, YOU KNOW, THAT TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, THAT WE ARE HERE.

THAT WE ARE HERE O SUPPORT THEM NO MATTER WHAT.

AND BECAUSE THOSE GIRLS GREW UP AT DAR AL FAROOQ, IT WAS MORE THAN A MOSQUE, IT WAS A REC CENTER WHERE THEY HUNG OUT.

THEY WERE VERY PROMISES COLLEGE AGE STUDENTS WHO ATTENDED UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, NORMANDALE, MCTC, THEY WERE GETTING READY FOR A WEDDING FOR THEIR FRIEND.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT TIME THAT YOU REALLY DON'T PICTURE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING.

AND SO FOR THE FAMILIES AND THESE ARE LARGE FAMILIES AS WELL AND SO AL FAROOK, WE SAID WE WILL HANDLE ALL FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS, BECAUSE THE FAMILIES WERE NOT -- >> Eric: LET ME JUST INTERRUPT.

IN THE MUSLIM TRADITION YOU TURN AROUND BURIALS VERY QUICKLY.

>> ES, YES.

IT'S ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEONE PASSES AWAY IT IS PREFERRABLE THAT WE BURY THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

AND WE BURY THEM IN A CERTAIN WAY THAT IS ACCORDING TO OUR FAITH.

AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THINGS TAKE TIME, YOU KNOW, WITH MEDICAL EXAMINER AND SO FORTH LIKE THAT.

BUT IT'S THE WHOLE SHOCK OF THE COMMUNITY.

AND THIS HAS REACHED ALL THE WAY TO THE FIVE CONTINENTS, FAMILY MEMBERS CALLING AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO SUGGESTED TO START RIGHT AWAY AND THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD IDEA BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO SUPPORT.

AND SO ALSO WHEN WE DID THE FUNERAL THERE WERE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS.

I'M GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, PLAN EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A THREE-DAY ROTATION OF LIKE A ALMOST 24-HOUR SHIFT, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY REALLY CAME TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTEN SUPPORT FROM EVERYBODY TO REALLY, THE LARGER COMMUNITY TOO.

AND SO BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, I WISH I COULD REPLACE THE PAIN OR THE EVEN THE AFTERMATH THE FAMILIES ARE FEELING.

>> Cathy: ALSO WE SHOULD SAY TOO, THIS IS A HORRIBLE SITUATION, THE FUNERALS WERE HELD, BUT NOW, YOU KNOW, THE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS START.

YOU KNOW, THE COURT PROCEEDINGS.

DO THE FAMILIES PLAN TO ATTEND ANY OF THAT AT ALL?

OR IS THAT JUST TOO HURTFUL?

IS >> THE FAMILIES ARE REALLY GOING THROUGH THE GRIEVING PROCESS NOW AND WE'RE JUST GIVING THEM THEIR TIME TO REALLY GRIEVE.

WE ACKNOWLEDGE THERE ARE SOME STEPS GOING FORWARD BUT I THINK THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TAKING ONE DAY AT A TIME AND REALLY GETTING THEIR OWN LEGAL COUNSEL AND SO FORTH LIKE THAT.

BUT, YEAH.

RIGHT NOW THE FAMILIES, WE'RE HAVING THEM FOCUS ON THE REMAINING SIBLINGS AND MAKING SURE THAT THINGS ARE ACK TO NORMAL BECAUSE YOU CAN IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE A LOT OF THINGS FOR GRANTED IN JUST A SECOND, YOU KNOW, FIVE FAMILIES HAVE BEEN REALLY THEIR WHOLE LIFE CHANGED.

ACTUALLY, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY'S LIFE CHANGED.

>> Eric: WELL, THE FAMILIES SO LUCKY TO HAVE YOU AND YOUR TEAM IN THEIR CORNERS.

>> YEAH.

I MEAN, WE LOVE THEM, THEY'RE OUR DAUGHTERS AND THESE FAMILIES ARE OUR FAMILIES AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE BEING SUPPORTING THEM AND STANDING WITH THEM AND MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW, THAT VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE ALSO, ALL THE SUPPORT THAT WE'VE GIVEN THEM SO FAR BUT IN OUR TRADITION WE SAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY THANKS TO WHAT I'M OBLIGATED TO DO, WHICH MEANS E FEEL WE'RE OBLIGATED TO DO THIS AS A COMMUNITY.

>> Eric: WELL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING BY