3 students shot dead in North Carolina

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It’s a story that’s gaining worldwide attention. A terrifying shooting in North Carolina has left three college students dead. They were shot inside their condo, and while police say the initial investigation indicates a parking space dispute may have led to the killings, they’re not ruling out the possibility that it may be a hate motivated crime. The three students are Muslim and they’re family members, a husband, wife and her sister. As family and friends come to terms with the brutal murders, the Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling on law enforcement to investigate whether the victims’ religion had something to do with the killings.

The victims are 23-year-old Deah Barakat, his 21 year old wife Yusor Mohammad and her 19 year old sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha. All were found shot in the head and pronounced dead inside their condo when police arrived shortly after 5 p-m Tuesday.

Today, Deah Barakat’s sister Suzanne called the killings execution style murders “we are still in a state of shock and will never be able to make sense of this horrendous tragedy”.

A Facebook tribute highlighted a video that Deah Barakat, a University of North Carolina dental student, had recorded about his charity work. Yusor Mohammed was also involved in charity work. According to a Facebook group, she traveled to Turkey to assist in dental relief. The pair were recently married. Razan had started a degree at North Carolina State University, studying architechture and environmental design.

46-year-old Craig Stephen Hicks was formally charged this morning with three counts of first-degree murder. Police say he turned himself in Tuesday night. The motivation for the shooting remains unclear. Police say their initial investigation points to a parking dispute, but reports say Hicks has been outspoken on Facebook about his anti-religious views.