https://news.yahoo.com/three-muslim-american-students-killed-in-chapel-hill-shooting-112228584.html

Three young Muslims, including a newly-wed couple, were shot dead in their home in a North Carolina neighbourhood in the US.

Students Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, wife Yusor Mohammad, 21, and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, were found shot dead at their apartment in Chapel Hill near the University of North Carolina (UNC) campus.

A 46-year-old man, identified by police as Craig Stephen Hicks, has been charged with three counts of first degree murder.

Police arrived at the building complex following reports of gunshots at 5:11pm on Tuesday. The man reportedly turned himself in later than evening.

All three victims were shot in the head, sources told WRAL news network. A motive has not yet been confirmed.

Barakat, a second-year dental student at UNC, and Mohammad, who was due to begin her dental studies, were married in December.

"It is with deep sadness that we share with you the news that the victims included Deah Barakat, a second-year student in the School of Dentistry, and his wife, Yusor, who had planned to begin her dental studies here in the fall. Her sister, Razan, a student at N.C. State University, was also killed," UNC said in a statement.

The incident sparked widespread outrage on social media network Twitter, and the hashtag #ChapelHillShooting was trending across the US and around the world.

Several users circulated images of the smiling victims using the hashtag, while others called for more extensive media coverage. Others speculated the murders were a "hate crime". A separate hashtag #MuslimLivesMatter began trending on Wednesday.

A Facebook page called 'Our Three Winners' has been set up in memory of the victims.

"It sorrows us all to see what has happened here today. Please rely on each other and remember these beautiful souls in your happy thoughts. Their faith meant a lot to them, and it is in fact what helps us all feel at peace with the tragedy of their murder," a post read.

Barakat and Mohammad have been described as "well-liked" and active members of the community, involved in several volunteer charity events.

A tweet by Barakat posted in January was also widely shared. “It's so freaking sad to hear people saying we should ‘kill Jews’ or ‘kill Palestinians’. As if that's going to solve anything,” it read.

I just read about Black Wall Street the other day so-- kinda numb to this. At least the town is still there and the killer didn't pose with the bodies.

I've seen plenty of comments saying "Good job American!" and whatnot. It's really sickening.

i refuse to believe that


nobody would be that callous not in real numbers

nah


does it really matter?

wonder what bin's doing?
http://i.imgur.com/phECCMp.jpg

it was bound to happen

I hope this is sarcasm

fucking weirdo

nigga came in my thread and told me to get off his dick...lol

I wonder what the folks at FOX News r thinking.....?

This Fox article paints him as an avowed atheist and anti-religion nut.

***

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/02/11/north-carolina-man-charged-in-shooting-death-three-people/

A man who portrayed himself as an avowed atheist on social media was in custody early Wednesday after allegedly gunning down three Muslim students in a condominium complex near the University of North Carolina hours earlier.

Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder after turning himself in to police in Chapel Hill overnight. Police have not given a motive for the triple homicide, although a Facebook page in Hicks' name described him as a supporter of “Atheists for Equality” and in a recent post he asked “why radical Christians and radical Muslims are so opposed to each others’ influence when they agree about so many ideological issues.” The victims' religion and Hicks' outspoken beliefs fueled broad online speculation that the murders were a hate crime.

Those killed were Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23; his wife, Yusor Abu-Salha, 21; and her sister, Raleigh, N.C. resident Razan Abu-Salha, Chapel Hill Police said in a statement.

Barakat was studying dentistry at the University of North Carolina, while his wife and sister-in-law were attending North Carolina State University, according to the Raleigh News-Observer.

Chapel Hill police found the victims dead at the scene after responding to a report of gunshots at a condominium complex at 5:11 p.m. Tuesday. Hicks is being held at Durham County Jail without bond. All three were shot in the head, authorities said.

Barakat and Abu-Salha were married Dec. 27, according to the Raleigh News-Observer. She had attended high school in Raleigh, and was on track to graduate from college in December with a degree in biological sciences, according to a North Carolina State University news release. Her sister was studying architecture and environmental design at North Carolina State.

Barakat, a Syrian-American, had majored in business administration and management at North Carolina State before enrolling at UNC-Chapel Hill two years ago to pursue his doctorate in dental surgery. He and his new wife worked for a charity that provided dental care to people in the United States and the Middle East. A Facebook post by Barakat dated Jan. 29 detailed a Durham project that provided dental supplies and food to homeless people this year.

He and 10 other dental students at the school were scheduled to go to Turkey in the summer, where they were going to treat Syrian refugees as part of a project organized by UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry and the Syrian-American Medical Society. Hours after the murders, more than $8,200 had been donated to the online campaign for "Project: Refugee Smiles."

The Facebook page believed to belong to the suspect said he was a paralegal studies student at Durham Technical Community College. The page's author described himself as a fan of Thomas Paine’s "The Age of Reason" and atheist author Richard Dawkins’ "The God Delusion."

In one online post, Hicks allegedly wrote: "When it comes to insults, your religion started this, not me. If your religion kept its big mouth shut, so would I."

UNC Chancellor Carol Folt is expected to issue a statement sometime Wednesday. Meanwhile, the school issued a statement.

"We are sensitive to the impact an incident of this nature has on campus and in the community," the school said. "We understand you want to know the facts as quickly as possible. At the same time, we must respect the job our Chapel Hill police have as they investigate this crime."

coverage this week

No one is ever referred to as Christian American or Mormon American. Muslim is not an ethnicity.

9/11 didn't racialize a ethnic (Arab) and religious (Muslim) belief

WE are other:
Blacks
Native Americans / Indigenous
native born dark skinned Latinos
most Latino immigrants
Africans
Arab Muslims (be they from Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan etc)
Sikhs
Desi folk
non acculturated and poor/working class Asians
LGBTers

other other other other

hyphens at all cost to distinguish whiteness in the age of supposed post-race mutliculturalism

I mean I know people like to think they're white people, but ummm...

>Arab Muslims (be they from Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan
>etc)

pakistanis arent arab.

i def could use a lot of schooling on SEAsia

Pakistani Americans
Arabs
Egyptian Americans

whatever

Acknowledge the racial element. Americans don't hate Bosnian Muslims or even Indonesian Muslims.

.

did the guy set out to kill muslims?
im confused

like what does their religion have to do with their deaths?

In one online post, Hicks allegedly wrote: "When it comes to insults, your religion started this, not me. If your religion kept its big mouth shut, so would I."

seems obvious to me but I'm sure they are still investigating

like that


like seriously i just read something on facebook but it was one of those memes with erme(full metal jacket) telling americans to take back their country!

looks like the good ole boy type too

.

but im banned tho.
____________

Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

cause you know they're gonna get "persecuted" over this.

there is no thing.

while some atheists have been steadfast in maintaining no association to anything.
lately other atheists have been trying really hard to make it "a thing". having organizations and meeting places.

Three Muslims killed in US; radical atheist in police custody - International
http://www.jpost.com/International/Suspected-atheist-in-police-custody-after-allegedly-killing-three-Muslims-in-US-390682

Progressive Atheist Kills 3 Muslim Students, Media Ignores
http://dailycaller.com/2015/02/11/progressive-atheist-kills-3-muslim-students-media-ignores/

Alot of media is running with Atheist killer as the headline.
Like I said persecution helps crystallize "religions".

There's gonna be atheist talking heads on TV soon
so called representatives of a "non-thing"

I agree that atheism is not religion, what i am saying is that is becoming "like" one.

While Christianity had the Crusades and the Inquisition, Atheism had Communism which trumped them both in body counts and human rights violations.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/police-parking-dispute-sparks-killing-of-3-near-unc-wvideo/2217247

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — A long-running parking dispute between neighbors motivated a man to kill a woman, her husband and her sister at a quiet condominium complex near the University of North Carolina campus, police said Wednesday.

Beyond the parking dispute, police didn't comment further on the motivation or details of the crime, but a Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization asked authorities to address speculation — much of it on social media — about possible anti-Muslim bias.

Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in Tuesday's shooting of Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, of Chapel Hill; Yusor Mohammad, 21, of Chapel Hill; and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, of Raleigh

Barakat and Mohammad were married, and Abu-Salha was Mohammad's sister.

Hicks appeared briefly in court Wednesday morning. He spoke only to answer that he understood the charges and to confirm an indigency affidavit. District Judge Marcia Morey said he would be appointed a public defender and held without bond until a March 4 probable cause hearing.

Police said Hicks was cooperating with the investigation and that their preliminary investigation showed that the parking dispute was the motive.

But on social media, many raised concerns that religious bias might be involved.

"Based on the brutal nature of this crime ... 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," Nihad Awad, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in a statement.

In an email, Chapel Hill police Chief Chris Blue said, "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."

Abdullah Antepli, director of Muslim affairs at nearby Duke University, issued a statement calling for people not to jump to conclusions over the motive for the killings.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in North Carolina that encompasses Chapel Hill didn't immediately return messages seeking comment about whether federal prosecutors were involved in the investigation or looking into a possible hate crime.

At UNC, Barakat was a second-year dental student, and Yusor was scheduled to begin dental studies in the fall.

Both had graduated from North Carolina State University, school spokesman Mick Kulikowski said. Barakat graduated with a business administration degree in the spring of 2013. Mohammad graduated in December with a biological sciences degree.

Abu-Salha was a sophomore design major who had started classes last fall, Kulikowski said.

The neighborhood where they were found — about three miles east of campus — consists mostly of apartments and condominiums rented by students. Neighbors there said Wednesday morning that never before seen police or had crime problems.

"It's a very quiet community," resident Bethany Boring told WRAL-TV. "It's a lot of graduate and professional students. You know, professional families."

Crime tape hung near the apartment where the victims were found, but otherwise there was no indication of a crime scene. Outside the victim's apartment, a woman's bicycle with a helmet was parked by the stairs.

sounds like bullshit to me.

execution style over parking? FOH

let me find out he had an American Sniper ticket stub

Somebody wake up @billmaher, an atheist leader has yet to apologize for #ChapelHillShooting. I can't do all the apologizing myself

It would fit into a nice easy narrative if it were but there really isn't that much evidence of anything yet other than the killer was not muslim and the victims were.

The media is point to dude's facebook page, as evidence of an anti-muslim bent but the facebook page I see is more complicated than that:

https://www.facebook.com/craig.hicks.967?fref=photo

dude is anti-religion in general not specifically anti-islam.

Also note dude is a self-described LGBT Ally.

I mention the LGBT thing to say that this might not be a red neck good old boy who killed muslims to win amurrica back. If it were it would be easy to know where to direct our rage. But the truth might be more complicated than that.

Maybe.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"One of the most important things in life is what Judge Learned Hand described as 'that ever-gnawing inner doubt as to whether you're r

3 people execution style? I mean it maybe can't be proved similar to Trayvon Martin, but what kind of hate was it? Even if it's just religious hate in general it's still a hate crime isn't it?

explanation available to black people or Muslims but it probably would better explain his motivation than a deep seated muslim rage.

I don't know. I am wait and see mode.

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"One of the most important things in life is what Judge Learned Hand described as 'that ever-gnawing inner doubt as to whether you're r

I wonder if the photo at the top of his page was put up right before he killed them.

Dude is all Atheism, dogs and I support gay people. Nary a having brunch with the fam post.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"One of the most important things in life is what Judge Learned Hand described as 'that ever-gnawing inner doubt as to whether you're r

even if he is a friend of the LBGT community

Was he ever in a LEO

Was he ever enlisted in the armed services

What drugs were in the blood sample that I'm sure they took from him

Was he ever arrested

etc...

I just figured I'd punch up the headline a bit... even if it's not 100% accurate, it's not 100% not accurate.

Dude isn't a Christian. Quit trying to shoehorn Christianity into this. Some of you cats just can't help yourselves. SMH.



Since 1976

The headline is where you tell your lies to get people to click or read something. The media uses this tactic to get hits, it's not about your sensibilities or anything like that, why would a paper care about that as long as people buy them?

i was making a stupid point that we label anyone of middle eastern descent who is involved in a crime a Muslim terrorist regardless of their actual religious beliefs.

It was a shitty attempt at satire.

....there were those who initially made the claim that it was a Christian terrorist act until it came out that dude hated all faiths. When I read the story linked in the O.P. I did wonder what did them being Muslim have to do with the story.


Since 1976

A good friend of mine was a teacher of the two girls and her children are friends with their younger siblings.

My heart is heavy.

We are gathering to honor the lives, work, and memory of these three beautiful people. PLEASE NOTE that the time and location of this event has changed. The vigil will start at 6:30 p.m. at The Pit on UNC's campus. Stay tuned for further details and look here for parking assistance: http://www.parkonthehill.com/

https://docs.google.com/a/vcu.edu/spreadsheets/d/1CUvNkvO8JaBiNHvCEaWB_VCPSV1RY-TUw2xRMNtFnK4/edit?pli=1#gid=0

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/watch-live-watch-live-funeral-3-killed-near-unc-1-n305186

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/02/14/1364404/-As-Houston-Islamic-Center-Burns-Firefighter-Posts-Let-it-burn-block-the-fire-hydrant

http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/syrian-dental-relief/206249

donate!

http://news.yahoo.com/cair-calls-hate-crime-probe-vandalism-targeting-rhode-032800479.html