The first female Muslim judge in the U.S. Sheila Abdus-Salaam died on Wednesday, as police found her fully clothed body floating on the shore of the Hudson River in Manhattan on Wednesday.
The New York Police Department told BuzzFeed News that the cause of death has not yet been determined, no signs of injury or trauma were found.
The 65-year-old was the associate judge of New York's highest court, one of seven judges on the State Court of Appeals.
She became the first black woman appointed to the Court of Appeals by governor Mario Cuomo in 2013, and the first-ever female Muslim judge in the country when she started serving on the State Supreme Court in 1994.
"Justice Sheila Abdus-Salaam was a trailblazing jurist whose life in public service was in pursuit of a more fair and more just New York for all," said Cuomo, according to Reuters.
Following the news, Muslims took to Twitter to mourn the death of a legend.
"Wonderful woman I've met several times"
"May she rest in peace"
"Inna lilah wa inna ilayhi raajaoon"
Reminding media outlets that they should embrace, not hide, the fact that she's Muslim
She was known as a "force of good"
"So sad, lots of prayer"
"Completely speechless"
"A national tragedy"
