Chapel Hill shooting: Three American Muslims killed
Daily TelegraphThree members of a Muslim family were killed on Tuesday near the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, allegedly by a militant atheist- Report: Victims' father calls Chapel Hill shooting a hate crime - CBS News
- Victims in Chapel Hill shooting were 'promising students' - NBC 17 Raleigh
- Police: Parking dispute may have led to Chapel Hill shooting - NBC 17 Raleigh
Chapel Hill shooting: Three American Muslims killed
Three members of a Muslim family were killed on Tuesday near the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, allegedly by a militant atheist
Deah Shaddy Barakat, his wife Yusor Mohammad and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha. Craig Hicks has been charged with their murderLearn a new language at your own paceStudying a new language doesn’t have to mean stepping back into the classroom. Babbel offers 13 language courses that can be studied online and on the go.Sponsored by Babbel3:01PM GMT 11 Feb 2015Three American Muslims have been shot dead near the University of North Carolina campus in Chapel Hill in the US.The three were named by police as Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, 21 and her sister, Razan Abu-Salha, 19.In a statement, police said they responded to a report of gunshots in the usually quiet area of Summerwalk Circle in Chapel Hill at 5.11pm local time on Tuesday. Upon arrival, officers found the three young individuals, who were pronounced dead at the scene.The Independent reported that some residents were unaware of what had happened until police arrived.A 46-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of three counts of murder. He was named by police as Craig Stephen Hicks who confirmed he had been charged.
Police custody shot of Craig Hicks
The alleged killer calmly turned himself in to local police in the town of Chapel Hill on Tuesday, shortly after the shootings.
In what appears to be the Facebook page of the man charged, Craig Hicks shared a picture from United Atheists of America entitled: "Why radical Christians and radical Muslims are so opposed to each others’ influence when they agree about so many ideological issues." He also shared an image from Militant Atheism for the Soul.
According to the profile page, Hicks is married and studied paralegal at Durham Technical Community College.
In January, he shared a picture of a gun and wrote: "Yes, that is 1 pound 5.1 ounces for my loaded 38 revolver, its holster, and five extra rounds in a speedloader."
“People say nothing can solve the Middle East problem, not mediation, not arms, not financial aid. I say there is something. Atheism,” he said in another post.
Following the news of the deaths, there was an outpouring of grief and anger on social media, with some fears that the three were killed because they were Muslim.
Authorities at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, one of America’s top-ranked public universities, called for calm, urging students to wait for police to ascertain the facts of the killings before ascribing motive.
A US official later said that the shootings were "not part of a targeted campaign against Muslims in North Carolina".
Chris Blue, chief of the Chapel Hill police said his department was investigating reports that the killing was motivated “by an ongoing neighbour dispute over parking”.
"Our investigators are exploring what could have motivated Mr. Hicks to commit such a senseless and tragic act,” he added. “We understand the concerns about the possibility that this was hate-motivated and we will exhaust every lead to determine if that is the case."
"Our thoughts are with the families and friends of these young people who lost their lives so needlessly,” said Mr Blue.
The hashtag, #MuslimLivesMatter, was trending on Twitter as well as #ChapelHillShooting worldwide, while the atheist Richard Dawkins condemned the killings.
The three actively used social media to share happy moments and according to Yusor's Facebook, the couple had only married in December and shared photos of their day.
University of North Carolina confirmed Barakat was a second-year dental student and Yusor Abu-Salha was planning to begin dental studies herself at Chapel Hill in the autumn, according to university officials. The university confirmed they got married less than two months ago.
Barakat was a charitable individual and in his last Facebook post, he shared a picture saying: "Tonight we provided free dental supplies and food to over 75 homeless people in downtown Durham." Barakat volunteered for the Miswak Foundation which provides free dentistry to impoverished countries.
He was also raising money to "provide dental care to refugee students in Rihaniya, Turkey". Since his death, several thousands of pounds have been donated.
In December, he described his parents as the "greatest" on Facebook and on Twitter shared his thoughts on people's reaction to the crises in the Middle East. Barakat’s brother Farris mourned the three deaths in a social media post. “I haven’t even begun to fully comprehend what has happened. But I know for sure those three together have done so much we are all proud of.
"No reason to stop being proud now,” he wrote. “God is great. God is greater.”
Razan was also involved in charity work for Global Deaf Muslim. On its website, the organisation said it is a "non profit organisation registered in United States of America. The organisation was established in 2005 by Deaf Muslim graduates to address the rights and needs of Deaf Muslims across the global ummah".
In the picture below, Yusor was also tagged on Facebook.
The Council on American Islamic Relations issued a statement on the killings calling for an investigation into a possible religious motivation.
“Based on the brutal nature of this crime, the past anti-religion statements of the alleged perpetrator, the religious attire of two of the victims, and the rising anti-Muslim rhetoric in American society, we urge state and federal law enforcement authorities to quickly address speculation of a possible bias motive in this case,” said Nihad Awad, the group’s executive director.
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Chapel Hill shooting: Three American Muslims killed
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Chapel Hill shooting: Three American Muslims killed by militant atheist
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