Elmont acid attack: A look back at Nafiah Ikram's story

On the night of March 17, 2021, Nafiah Ikram had just returned home with her mother, after working at her job at a CVS pharmacy. As she walked around the passenger side of the car to grab food, she sensed someone watching her. She then saw a man wearing a hoodie and a ski mask.

She heard footsteps, and she was splashed with what she initially believed was warm juice. "I was confused," Ikram said. "And then maybe five seconds later, my face started burning, so I started panicking and running into my house."

She suffered second- and third-degree burns to her face, chest and arms. The acid melted her contact lenses, blinding her in the right eye. 

The attack stunned Long Island and became a national story. Nearly 5 years later, Terrell Campbell, 29, of Brooklyn, has been arrested and indicted on two counts of assault, one count of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of possession of noxious materials.

Here’s a look back at developments in the case, and Ikram’s recovery.

Trying to heal

Nafiah Ikram was 21 when an unidentified man in a hooded sweatshirt attacked her in her driveway as she arrived home from her job at CVS on March 17, 2021. A month later, she spoke with Newsday about her life since the attack, which left her blind in one eye and scarred on her face.

She said she was struggling with everyday activities such as eating or brushing her teeth, even after spending two weeks in the hospital.

"It physically hurts my face," said Ikram, wearing a face shield. "As I heal, I’m being a little bit more and more grateful for the things I can do again that I used to before I got injured."

Appeals for hate crime investigation

By June 2021, the case was a national story. It had sparked demands for a hate crime investigation and help from a state task force. Police offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, and pressure was mounting to boost the reward to $50,000. 

Amid her serious health issues, Ikram told Newsday she tries to "look at something positive that happens and I write it down." A possible positive, Ikram said, is her birthday wish: eating solid Mediterranean-Afghani food if she gets the go-ahead from her doctor.

Renewed calls for arrest

A year after the attack, Ikram's family went public with their frustration that no one had been arrested in the attack. Standing with her parents in the backyard of their home, Ikram had tears in her eyes as she spoke about her struggles since the attack on March 17, 2021.She said she regularly had nightmares.

Sherina Mohamed, Ikram’s mother, said she was disheartened the attacker hadn't been caught. "I can’t believe that in the 21st century, with all the high technology, with all that they’re doing," she said. "I don’t know, sometimes I feel like maybe the detectives, maybe they didn’t take it seriously."

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said police "continue an intense and comprehensive investigation into the heinous act."

Learning to cope with pain

In the summer of 2022, 16 months after the attack, Ikram spoke extensively with Newsday about her ongoing recovery, which had included what she called a mental breakdown and suicidal thoughts. Nassau police had yet to make an arrest in the "complex" case, sparking frustration from Ikram's family about the pace of the investigation, which also involves the FBI. 

"When I think about my progress, overall," she said, "I really am proud of how long I've been able to deal with this and how far I've come."

Ikram wanted to share her life-altering story — of frustration and learning to overcome — with others and hopefully "help people with mental health, and how to deal with emotional trauma and PTSD."

Reward increased

Two years after this case, with no arrest, Nassau County increased the reward for information leading to an arrest to $50,000.

"We're a lot further on [in the investigation] than we were on Day One," Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said at a news conference with Ikram, her parents and county lawmakers in Mineola. "We're going to find you and we're going to lock you up."

Ikram by then had undergone eight surgeries since the assault. She couldn't drive, suffered from PTSD, attended classes only part time and had difficulty performing basic tasks, particularly after each surgery, such as showering and making her bed.

Seeking information

Ikram and her family held a news conference on April 19, 2023, to remind the public of the attack and urge anyone with information to come forward.

“I feel like two years have gone by and nothing has been accomplished. Even my life with school, I’ve yet to graduate and everything was put on hold for me,” Ikram said. She added that she now speaks to schools and at community events about self-love and inner beauty.

Moving forward, despite obstacles

In December 2024, Ikram sat down with Newsday to give an update on her progress.

At 25, she said she was moving forward with her life, determined to regain her confidence and maintain a positive outlook. She resumed classes at Hofstra University, where she was a premed student prior to the attack, and hopes to one day become a doctor. She has spoken out about her ordeal and found support with friends, other survivors and a personal trainer who she said has helped her trust others again.

"I think having the scars taught me that I had to teach myself to love myself for who I am. It's not about how you look, it's about the soul," she said during a recent interview at her home.