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Hicks had moved to Chapel Hill in 2005 from [[Bethalto, Illinois]].<ref name="Mother-in-law of shooter">{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/palestinian-officials-u-s-chapel-hill-probe-article-1.2115339|title=Former mother-in-law of alleged Chapel Hill shooter says he was always an ‘unhappy, angry person’|accessdate=February 15, 2015|date=February 14, 2015|publisher=nydailynews.com}}</ref> He has been divorced twice.<ref name="nyt-threat"/> Cynthia Hurley, Hicks' first wife who divorced him around 1998, said he enjoyed the 1993 film ''[[Falling Down]]'' about an unemployed defense engineer's shooting rampage, and that "he watched it incessantly." "That always freaked me out," she said. "He thought it was hilarious. He had no compassion at all."<ref name="troublemaker"/> Another marriage, which lasted just five months, ended in 2005 when Hicks left his wife and their two-month-old daughter before divorce proceedings could be completed. Martha Landson, his former mother-in-law from that marriage, said, "He was an unhappy, angry person. The first time I met him, there was something in his eyes." Landson said the family had stayed quiet on her daughter's brief marriage to Hicks to protect their now 10-year-old daughter, who has no idea her father has been jailed in connection to the shooting. Though Hicks had been allowed to visit his daughter on alternate Saturdays, he had not done so in the preceding decade, according to Landson. Court documents have shown Hicks' former wife had financially supported the couple during their marriage, and that Hicks has been perpetually unemployed. At the time of the shooting, he had no income or cash at hand. His assets were listed as his 2000 Nissan Sentra (worth $2,000), and his Finley Forest condo (worth $105,000).<ref name="Mother-in-law of shooter"/>
Hicks had moved to Chapel Hill in 2005 from [[Bethalto, Illinois]].<ref name="Mother-in-law of shooter">{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/palestinian-officials-u-s-chapel-hill-probe-article-1.2115339|title=Former mother-in-law of alleged Chapel Hill shooter says he was always an ‘unhappy, angry person’|accessdate=February 15, 2015|date=February 14, 2015|publisher=nydailynews.com}}</ref> He has been divorced twice.<ref name="nyt-threat"/> Cynthia Hurley, Hicks' first wife who divorced him around 1998, said he enjoyed the 1993 film ''[[Falling Down]]'' about an unemployed defense engineer's shooting rampage, and that "he watched it incessantly." "That always freaked me out," she said. "He thought it was hilarious. He had no compassion at all."<ref name="troublemaker"/> Another marriage, which lasted just five months, ended in 2005 when Hicks left his wife and their two-month-old daughter before divorce proceedings could be completed. Martha Landson, his former mother-in-law from that marriage, said, "He was an unhappy, angry person. The first time I met him, there was something in his eyes." Landson said the family had stayed quiet on her daughter's brief marriage to Hicks to protect their now 10-year-old daughter, who has no idea her father has been jailed in connection to the shooting. Though Hicks had been allowed to visit his daughter on alternate Saturdays, he had not done so in the preceding decade, according to Landson. Court documents have shown Hicks' former wife had financially supported the couple during their marriage, and that Hicks has been perpetually unemployed. At the time of the shooting, he had no income or cash at hand. His assets were listed as his 2000 Nissan Sentra (worth $2,000), and his Finley Forest condo (worth $105,000).<ref name="Mother-in-law of shooter"/>
===Speculation about motives of Islamophobia===
===Speculation about motives of Islamophobia===
According a [[facebook]] account that has been appointed to Craig Hicks, he is a [[militant atheist]]. he shared in this account anti-Muslim and anti-Christian posts and links.<ref name="latimes">{{cite web | url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-north-carolina-shooting-deaths-20150211-story.html#page=1 | title=North Carolina triple slaying arouses fear of hate crimes against Muslims | publisher=Los Angeles Times | accessdate=4 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="oen">{{cite web | url=http://www.opednews.com/articles/Why-The-Chapel-Hill-Shooti-by-Erik-Ose-ATHEIST_Anti-Muslim_Chapel-Hill-Shooting_Facebook-150217-554.html | title=Why The Chapel Hill Shooting Was An Islamophobic Hate Crime | publisher=Oped News | accessdate=4 March 2015 | author=Ose, Erik}}</ref>
Hicks often complained about Christians and Muslims on his [[Facebook]] page, which was publicly viewable at the time of the shootings.<ref name=bigstory/> He described himself as an [[Antitheism|anti-theist]], posted numerous images which condemned all religions and [[religious violence]], and set his profile image to one stating "Atheists for Equality".<ref name="DougStanglin">{{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/11/north-carolina-muslim-students-gunman-chapel-hill/23222317/|title=Chapel Hill 'rocked' by killings of 3 Muslim students|date=February 11, 2015|work=[[USA Today]]|accessdate=February 11, 2015}}</ref>
Hicks often complained about Christians and Muslims on his [[Facebook]] page, which was publicly viewable at the time of the shootings.<ref name=bigstory/> He described himself as an [[Antitheism|anti-theist]], posted numerous images which condemned all religions and [[religious violence]], and set his profile image to one stating "Atheists for Equality".<ref name="DougStanglin">{{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/11/north-carolina-muslim-students-gunman-chapel-hill/23222317/|title=Chapel Hill 'rocked' by killings of 3 Muslim students|date=February 11, 2015|work=[[USA Today]]|accessdate=February 11, 2015}}</ref>
Hicks was critical of Christian opponents of the [[Park51]] project, stating, "Seems an overwhelming majority of Christians in this country feel that the Muslims are using the Ground Zero mosque plans to 'mark their conquest [...] bunch of hypocrites, everywhere I've been in this country there are churches marking the Christian conquest of this country from the Native Americans."<ref name=columbian/><ref name=cnntranscript/> [[CNN]] religion editor Daniel Burke interprets Hicks' response to [[Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories|conspiracy theories]] about [[Presidency of Barack Obama|President]] [[Barack Obama]]'s religion as "It's OK if we have a Muslim president."<ref name=cnntranscript>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1502/12/cnr.07.html|title=Funerals for Students Shot in the Head|work=CNN News Transcript}}</ref> Hicks had set a banner image on his page to one stating, "I don't deny you your right to believe whatever you'd like; but I have the right to point out it's ignorant and dangerous for as long as your baseless superstitions keep killing people."<ref name="lat1">{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-north-carolina-shooting-deaths-20150211-story.html#page=1|title=Suspect in Muslim students' shooting known for outbursts, neighbor says|accessdate=February 11, 2015|last=Zucchino|first=David|date=February 11, 2015|publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> In another Facebook post, Hicks stated, "I give your religion as much respect as your religion gives me [...] there's nothing complicated about it, and I have every right to insult a religion that goes out of its way to insult, to judge and to condemn me as an inadequate human being -- which your religion does with self-righteous gusto."<ref name=wncn1>{{cite web|url=http://www.wncn.com/story/28091841/funeral-services-to-be-held-for-chapel-hill-shooting-victims-thursday|title=More than 5,000 attend funeral service for Chapel Hill shooting victims|accessdate=February 14, 2015|last=Staff|first=|date=February 12, 2015|publisher=[[WNCN]]}}</ref> He voted in two recent elections, as a Democrat and once on a nonpartisan ballot.<ref name="nyt-threat"/>
Hicks was critical of Christian opponents of the [[Park51]] project, stating, "Seems an overwhelming majority of Christians in this country feel that the Muslims are using the Ground Zero mosque plans to 'mark their conquest [...] bunch of hypocrites, everywhere I've been in this country there are churches marking the Christian conquest of this country from the Native Americans."<ref name=columbian/><ref name=cnntranscript/> [[CNN]] religion editor Daniel Burke interprets Hicks' response to [[Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories|conspiracy theories]] about [[Presidency of Barack Obama|President]] [[Barack Obama]]'s religion as "It's OK if we have a Muslim president."<ref name=cnntranscript>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1502/12/cnr.07.html|title=Funerals for Students Shot in the Head|work=CNN News Transcript}}</ref> Hicks had set a banner image on his page to one stating, "I don't deny you your right to believe whatever you'd like; but I have the right to point out it's ignorant and dangerous for as long as your baseless superstitions keep killing people."<ref name="lat1">{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-north-carolina-shooting-deaths-20150211-story.html#page=1|title=Suspect in Muslim students' shooting known for outbursts, neighbor says|accessdate=February 11, 2015|last=Zucchino|first=David|date=February 11, 2015|publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> In another Facebook post, Hicks stated, "I give your religion as much respect as your religion gives me [...] there's nothing complicated about it, and I have every right to insult a religion that goes out of its way to insult, to judge and to condemn me as an inadequate human being -- which your religion does with self-righteous gusto."<ref name=wncn1>{{cite web|url=http://www.wncn.com/story/28091841/funeral-services-to-be-held-for-chapel-hill-shooting-victims-thursday|title=More than 5,000 attend funeral service for Chapel Hill shooting victims|accessdate=February 14, 2015|last=Staff|first=|date=February 12, 2015|publisher=[[WNCN]]}}</ref> He voted in two recent elections, as a Democrat and once on a nonpartisan ballot.<ref name="nyt-threat"/>

Revision as of 06:18, 4 March 2015

2015 Chapel Hill shooting
LocationChapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.
Coordinates35°53′48.8″N 79°0′32.1″W / 35.896889°N 79.008917°W / 35.896889; -79.008917
DateFebruary 10, 2015
c. 5:15 p.m. (EDT)
Attack type
Shooting[1][2]
WeaponsFirearm
Deaths3[3]
VictimsDeah Shaddy Barakat
Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha
Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha

On February 10, 2015, Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha were killed in their home in Finley Forest Condominiums on Summerwalk Circle in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Barakat was a second-year student in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, his wife Yusor was a North Carolina State University (NCSU) graduate planning to enter UNC Dentistry School in the fall, and her sister Razan was a student at NCSU majoring in architecture and environmental design.[5]

Chapel Hill police arrested their next-door neighbor[6] Craig Stephen Hicks, who allegedly shot and killed the three people in a single attack.[7][8][9] On February 10, the Chapel Hill Police Department stated their "preliminary investigation indicates that the crime was motivated by an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking. Hicks is cooperating with investigators." Hicks was charged with three counts of first-degree murder.[10] On February 16, Hicks was indicted by a Durham County grand jury in on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling. Investigators have not ruled out any motives, including religious bias.[11] The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Justice have also launched their own investigations into the shooting.[12][13]

Shooting

On February 10, 2015, local police in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, responded to a report of gunshots heard at 5:15 p.m.[14] Upon arriving at the Finley Forest Condominiums, located on Summerwalk Circle at Chapel Hill,[15] a woman told them a friend was bleeding, and directed them to a condominium. There, they found Barakat lying dead in the front doorway bleeding from the head. One of the Abu-Salha sisters was found dead in the kitchen, with the other lying in its doorway.[16] All three victims had been killed with gunshot wounds to the head,[17] and were pronounced dead at the scene.[14] A witness outside told police he had heard shots and saw a man leaving the condominium and driving off in a gold car. Police found eight shell casings in the living room and a bullet somewhere inside, according to a warrant. They seized three cellphones, a watch, two sets of keys and Barakat's wallet and keychain.[16]

The victims' next-door neighbor, Craig Stephen Hicks, a 46-year-old[18] former car parts salesman, turned himself in to sheriff's deputies in nearby Pittsboro on the night of the shooting.[19]

Victims

The three victims of the Chapel Hill Shooting. From left: Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, Razan Abu-Salha

Three people (two of whom were students) were killed:[20]

  • Deah Shaddy Barakat, age 23, a Syrian American[21] of Palestinian origin.[22] A 2013 graduate of North Carolina State University who had majored in business administration, he was a second-year student in the UNC School of Dentistry. He and 10 other dental students were planning to travel to Turkey to treat Syrian refugees as part of a project organized by UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry and the Syrian-American Medical Society.[5][23] He also worked to provide free dental supplies to the homeless in his spare time. [24] An avid fan of basketball, he married Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha on December 27, 2014. The couple had been married just six weeks when they were killed.[25]
  • Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, age 21, a Jordanian American of Palestinian descent[26] and the wife of Deah Shaddy Barakat. Born in Jordan, she emigrated to the United States at the age of six months.[27] A 2014 graduate of North Carolina State University, she had graduated with a bachelor's degree in biological sciences, and was planning to enter UNC in the fall to study dentistry.[5][21][28] Friends described her as "down to earth" and "understanding," a happy newlywed eager to impress and please her husband.[29]
  • Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, age 19, a Jordanian American of Palestinian descent[26] and a sister of Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha. Born in the United States, she was a sophomore in the North Carolina State University College of Design, majoring in architecture and environmental design.[5][21][27][28] She was also dedicated to charity work, supporting charities like Global Deaf Muslim.[25]

Suspect

File:Craig Stephen Hicks.jpg
Mugshot of Craig Stephen Hicks following his arrest

Craig Stephen Hicks was studying to become a paralegal at Durham Technical Community College at the time of the shooting.[19][30][31] He was described by the school as an "exemplary student" who was opinionated but high-achieving and was said to help other students with their work.[32] According to a spokesperson for Durham Technical Community College, Hicks "sat in the front row. Participated in class. ... He hasn't had any conflicts with students or instructors or any complaints about his behavior."[33] In 2011, Hicks worked at Harris Teeter and received a leadership award commending him for his "great attitude," which "contributed to a positive environment" in the store.[33]

However, neighbors described Hicks as threatening. He complained about the noise of one resident playing a card game and playing music when she pulled into the lot.[18] Hicks wrote on Facebook about reporting a couple having sex in a car in the parking lot to the police. In 2013, Hicks reported a dispute between a tow truck driver and a car's owner to police, and walked to the parking lot with a gun.[18][34] A friend of Yusor stated that Hicks was "holding a rifle" while complaining about extra cars in the neighborhood and noise from their game of Risk.[18] Another resident and a friend of Barakat and Yusor Abu-Salha told the Associated Press that "Hicks complained about once a month that the two men were parking in a visitor's space as well as their assigned spot. 'He would come over to the door. Knock on the door and then have a gun on his hip saying 'you guys need to not park here.' [...] Both Hicks and his neighbors complained to the property managers who warned them to call the police if they were harassed again."[35][36]

Hicks had moved to Chapel Hill in 2005 from Bethalto, Illinois.[37] He has been divorced twice.[18] Cynthia Hurley, Hicks' first wife who divorced him around 1998, said he enjoyed the 1993 film Falling Down about an unemployed defense engineer's shooting rampage, and that "he watched it incessantly." "That always freaked me out," she said. "He thought it was hilarious. He had no compassion at all."[32] Another marriage, which lasted just five months, ended in 2005 when Hicks left his wife and their two-month-old daughter before divorce proceedings could be completed. Martha Landson, his former mother-in-law from that marriage, said, "He was an unhappy, angry person. The first time I met him, there was something in his eyes." Landson said the family had stayed quiet on her daughter's brief marriage to Hicks to protect their now 10-year-old daughter, who has no idea her father has been jailed in connection to the shooting. Though Hicks had been allowed to visit his daughter on alternate Saturdays, he had not done so in the preceding decade, according to Landson. Court documents have shown Hicks' former wife had financially supported the couple during their marriage, and that Hicks has been perpetually unemployed. At the time of the shooting, he had no income or cash at hand. His assets were listed as his 2000 Nissan Sentra (worth $2,000), and his Finley Forest condo (worth $105,000).[37]

Speculation about motives of Islamophobia

According a facebook account that has been appointed to Craig Hicks, he is a militant atheist. he shared in this account anti-Muslim and anti-Christian posts and links.[38][39] Hicks often complained about Christians and Muslims on his Facebook page, which was publicly viewable at the time of the shootings.[35] He described himself as an anti-theist, posted numerous images which condemned all religions and religious violence, and set his profile image to one stating "Atheists for Equality".[40] Hicks was critical of Christian opponents of the Park51 project, stating, "Seems an overwhelming majority of Christians in this country feel that the Muslims are using the Ground Zero mosque plans to 'mark their conquest [...] bunch of hypocrites, everywhere I've been in this country there are churches marking the Christian conquest of this country from the Native Americans."[41][42] CNN religion editor Daniel Burke interprets Hicks' response to conspiracy theories about President Barack Obama's religion as "It's OK if we have a Muslim president."[42] Hicks had set a banner image on his page to one stating, "I don't deny you your right to believe whatever you'd like; but I have the right to point out it's ignorant and dangerous for as long as your baseless superstitions keep killing people."[43] In another Facebook post, Hicks stated, "I give your religion as much respect as your religion gives me [...] there's nothing complicated about it, and I have every right to insult a religion that goes out of its way to insult, to judge and to condemn me as an inadequate human being -- which your religion does with self-righteous gusto."[44] He voted in two recent elections, as a Democrat and once on a nonpartisan ballot.[18]

Hicks is a gun rights advocate with a concealed weapons permit[35] who had 13 firearms in his house.[41]

Aftermath

On February 11, a few thousand people attended a vigil in "The Pit" at the center of the UNC campus.[45][46] Deah's mother Layla Barakat told the students, "He died of hate crime and his legacy is never hate. You don't respond back by hating the other. You respond back by love. By peace, by mercy. That's Deah's way."[45] Deah's brother, Farris added: "If, and it was quite possible, that this was an act based off of evil and a scared ignorant man, do not let ignorance propagate in your life [...] do not reply to ignorance with ignorance. Become an amazing, bright intellectual leader that I know this university can create."[47] Chancellors from UNC, North Carolina State University, and North Carolina Central University attended the vigil.[48]

A public funeral was held on February 12 at North Carolina State University. It was hosted by the Islamic Association of Raleigh; an estimated 5,500 people attended.[49] NCSU's Muslim Student Association also held a prayer service and candlelight vigil the same evening on the Brickyard, the central plaza on the main university campus. An estimated 3,000 students, faculty, staff and members of the local community attended the vigil despite the cold and strong winds which kept the candles from being lit; instead, cellphone lights were used.[50][51] Governor McCrory and the chancellors of N.C. State and UNC Chapel Hill attended the vigil and delivered remarks.[52] Speaking at the vigil, Farris Barakat, also an alumnus of N.C. State University, discussed his deep family ties to the university and his hopes that it "means something to each and every student at NC State. I hope that means we somehow touched your heart in a way that you can live in their legacy and you can take what they did that was good and you can live it in your life. It is the best thing you can do for my family now." His sister Suzanne Barakat, flashing the wolf-hand sign popular among N.C. State students and alumni, spoke of her younger brother's commitment to serving others, and his wife's and sister-in-law's volunteer and charitable contributions to the greater community. "The message that we want to share is spread love, spread awareness because these three people were nothing but love and kindness. I'm sure they would want you to continue that for them."[51]

Investigations

On February 10, the Chapel Hill Police Department said their investigation indicates that the crime was motivated by an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking.[10] After Hicks surrendered to police, investigators swabbed the driver's door handle and steering wheel of his Nissan for evidence, and seized his vehicle registration and insurance card. On February 11, Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt stated: "the Chapel Hill Police Department is using all available resources to determine whether hate was a motivating factor. All we know for certain at this time is that it was a senseless and tragic act surrounding a longstanding dispute [....] We do not know whether anti-Muslim bias played a role in this crime, but I do recognize the fear that members of our community may feel. Chapel Hill is a place for everyone, a place where Muslim lives matter."[53] Investigators searched Hicks' home and seized two fully loaded handguns, a fully loaded AR-15 Bushmaster rifle, two shotguns, five other rifles, two other handguns and two pellet guns. They also seized numerous magazines with varying amounts of ammunition, boxes of ammunition, shotgun shells, BBs, gun scopes and other gun-related items, according to a warrant. Investigators also seized two desktop computers, three cellphones and a digital camera.[16]

On February 12, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrived at the condominiums and the FBI announced it had launched "a parallel preliminary inquiry to determine whether or not any federal laws were violated related to the case."[12]

On February 13, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said that civil-rights lawyers in the U.S. Department of Justice have opened an investigation to determine if this was a hate crime. Holder stated that, "Like all Americans, I was shocked and saddened by this week’s heinous murders of three young people in Chapel Hill, North Carolina [...] I have made available the full resources of the Justice Department to help ensure that justice will be served in this case."[13] By February 13, over 100 Muslim advocacy groups had called for such a federal investigation, pointing out that the shootings “come in the wake of a disturbing rise in especially threatening and vitriolic anti-Muslim rhetoric and activities."[54]

Local investigators met on the morning of February 13 with FBI agents and federal and Durham County prosecutors to discuss the case. It was thought Hicks' charges could go before a Durham County grand jury as early as February 16, but prosecutors had not then decided whether to pursue the death penalty.[16] On February 16, Hicks was indicted by a grand jury in Durham on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling.[11] On March 2, Durham County District Attorney Roger Echols said he intended to seek the death penalty against Hicks.[55]

Memorials

Family members created a Facebook page dedicated to the three victims entitled "Our Three Winners."[56][57] In addition, Deah Barakat had been a co-organizer of a fundraising drive established through the UNC School of Dentistry and the Syrian-American Medical Society. Named "Syrian Dental Relief," the fund was intended to provide dental care to Syrian refugees in Turkey. Prior to his death, approximately $3,000 of a $20,000 goal had been raised. In the days following his murder, donations swelled the fund to close to $300,000, with many donors leaving messages of condolence and support. The donations page was shared over 47,000 times.[58]

Vigils were held in Washington,[59] Ottawa,[60] Gaza and other cities.[61][62] Students also organized vigils at universities across the United States, including at the University of Chicago, UCLA, Temple University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.[62]

Golden State Warriors basketball player Steph Curry, of whom Barakat was a fan, wore a pair of shoes with Barakat's name on them during a game on February 14. Curry subsequently sent the shoes to Barakat's family.[63][64][65]

On February 20, Randy Woodson, the chancellor of N.C. State University, announced the creation of a university-endowed scholarship fund in memory of the three students. To be named the "Our Three Winners Fund," the endowment will award scholarships in perpetuity in the names of the three students through the Poole College of Management (in memory of Deah Barakat), the College of Sciences (in memory of Yusor Mohammad) and the College of Design (in memory of Razan Abu-Salha). The scholarships will be awarded to students for demonstrating leadership, service and creativity. "Deah, Yusor and Razan exemplified the best of NC State and will forever serve as role models for our student body," Woodson said. "Each was not only an outstanding student, but individually and as a family they lived their lives bringing joy to others, helping those in need and making the world a better place. Deah, Yusor and Razan made a tremendous difference in our community and across the globe in their short time on this earth. We hope to always remember and honor their lives through the Our Three Winners Fund. We also intend this scholarship to be a forever reminder that NC State must always hold as a core value a respect for diversity in all its forms and strive to maintain an environment where everyone feels safe, respected and valued.”[66]

Response

The shooting was covered by media outlets including The New York Times,[67] BBC,[68] and The Guardian[69] as well as newspapers in France, Germany, India, and Israel.[70][71][72][73] At the same time, social media contributors asked whether the incident would have received faster and more extensive media coverage if the victims had been non-Muslims and the perpetrator had been Muslim.[74][75][76] The Twitter hashtag #ChapelHillShooting appeared over 900,000 times and trended in the United States, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and several other countries. The hashtag #MuslimLivesMatter was used over 100,000 times.[68] Hicks' Facebook page both contained quotations from and promoted the books of ethologist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. Dawkins condemned the murders, tweeting, "How could any decent person NOT condemn the vile murder of three young US Muslims in Chapel Hill?"[77] Before going on to write: "...there's only 1 ideology now that preaches the legal killing of dissenters. And it isn't atheism".[78]

Victims' family

Deah's sister, Dr. Suzanne Barakat, questioned the issue of parking as a cause in an interview with MSNBC's Morning Joe. She said that Deah's unit had an assigned parking space, Hick's had an assigned parking space, and there was a third space designated for guest parking. However, Hicks had told Deah not to use the designated guest parking space as Hicks said it was for his wife. While the complex manager confirmed that the additional space was designated for visitors' parking, Barakat said that her brother went to great lengths to have his guests use other guest parking spots which he mapped out for them. Finally, she stated, the day before this interview, the parking area was observed and no car related to her family or friends was in that designated guest parking spot.[79] In a later interview with CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper, Barakat reinforced her belief that this was not a parking dispute as at the time of the murders because a car belonging to a member of her family was not parked in the space designated as guest parking by the complex agency.[80] Barakat then said that "had roles been reversed and the man was Muslim, of Arab descent, of South Asian descent, this would have immediately been labeled an act of terror. I haven't heard anyone use the term terrorist here [...] why the double standard? He has terrorized our families, he has terrorized our lives, he has terrorized our community locally, nationally, and internationally and it's time that people call it for what it is."[80]

Yousef Abu-Salha, the brother of the two women, also reiterated in an interview with RT that on the day they were murdered, no one was parked in the guest parking spot that Hicks "used to make a fuss about."[81] He also said that prior to Deah's marriage to his sister, he and his former roommate, Imad, had "plenty of run-ins" with Hicks that escalated when his sister arrived wearing a headscarf.[81] Abu-Salha states that in return, his sister treated Hicks with kindness, and added, "First of all, we are peaceful. That's what our faith preaches. We don't seek vengeance. We treat our enemies with kindness. But we would like this crime to be labeled as it should be because that is the only way we can seek justice."[81] In a different interview, his father Dr. Mohammad Abu-Salha, said that this "was a hate crime" due to their religion and culture. He said that his daughter "told her family a week ago that she had 'a hateful neighbor.'"[6] Abu-Salha also said "this man had picked on my daughter and her husband a couple of times before, and he talked with them with his gun in his belt. And they were uncomfortable with him, but they did not know he would go this far."[6]

Suspect's family

According to his current wife Karen (who has also announced that she is divorcing him),[35] he did not commit the shooting due to religious bias, but because of a longstanding parking dispute,[82][83] and that he had problems with several other neighbors. She also said that Hicks supported same-sex marriage, abortion rights, and racial equality.[18] The New York Daily News states that Hicks' mother-in-law from a former marriage, Martha Landson, "has trouble believing Hicks’ history of anger could have led to his alleged deadly outburst."[37] Landson stated that Hicks "just didn’t like people."[37] Sarah Hurley, Hicks' estranged 20-year-old daughter from his first marriage, called her father "a monster." "He was never a father to me, except by blood," she said. Hurley, who self-identifies as Christian, said she told Hicks her religious beliefs, which she said he agreed to respect. But she said his social media posts became increasingly antagonistic toward others' beliefs. "I shut him out of my life permanently for not only disrespecting the religious beliefs of others, but bashing them on social media. It was obvious he had a lot of hate in his heart, but I did not know he had developed into a monster and would take another's life," she said. "I am extremely disgusted to say that I am biologically related to him. His actions were not right by any means and the prosecution has my full support if needed."[84]

Muslim community

Council on American–Islamic Relations National Executive Director Nihad Awad responded by stating, "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."[85] Abdullah Antepli, director of Muslim affairs at nearby Duke University, urged people not to jump to conclusions on the motive.[86]

Mirna Barq, president of the Syrian American Council (SAC), said, "Today, the world lost three beautiful souls just as they were entering the prime of their lives. This is a great tragedy for the Syrian-American community, for Arab Americans and for all Americans, and we mourn all three of them as one of our own. We also wish to honor the victims' devotion to helping the neediest Syrians and to uplifting the Syrian people."[87]

The national vice president of the U.S. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community issued a statement warning against “rising Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment."[88] Another spokesperson[who?] for the community said that, "in the current climate of anti-Muslim sentiment, we need to talk about what is causing such hatred and figure out how to dispel it."[89]

Iyad bin Amin Madani, the secretary-general of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, condemned the killings, saying, "This gruesome crime has left Muslims worldwide in a state of shock and has raised concerns of the growing feelings of hatred towards Muslims and the increase of acts linked to Islamophobia in the United States." He urged the US government to take measures to protect society there from "negative images, discrimination, and stereotyping that contradict the core values of the American society," and called for international cooperation to fight "extremism, violence, and religious intolerance, as well as hate crimes and (acts) that incite them."[90]

Shuja Shafi, the secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, deplored a perceived lack of objective media coverage and an inconsistent response towards attacks on Muslims.[91]

Allameh Sayyed Ali Fadlallah, the head of the Board of Ulema of Lebanon,[92] criticized U.S. media coverage of the shooting and said the incident raised worries of further anti-Muslim attacks in Western nations.[93]

Civil rights and faith groups

According to CNN, 150 civil rights and faith groups have signed a letter sent to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder asking for a federal hate crime investigation.[94] The letter, which was signed by "a number of Islamic and Arab organizations plus Jewish, Sikh, Asian American and other groups",[94] stated, "Federal leadership is necessary in this case in order to send the strongest message to the public that acts of violence like these have no place in civil society and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law [...] as American Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim now, more than ever, fear for their safety, the American people need to hear a strong message our nation's chief law enforcement officer."[94]

Universities

Randy Woodson, the chancellor of N.C. State University, where all three victims had been students, said, "Senseless acts like this go against all of our beliefs. A core value of N.C. State is respect for diversity in all its forms. We strive to maintain an environment where everyone feels safe, respected and valued."[87] Carol Folt, the chancellor of UNC Chapel Hill, said "Such an act of violence goes against the very fiber of our community and society. It also creates a sense of vulnerability for all of us, especially members of the Muslim community.[87] Dr. Jane Weintraub, the dean of the University of North Carolina Dental School, said the community was "heartbroken and grief-stricken by...the incredible loss to our school and to the entire Carolina Community." She paid special tribute to Deah Barakat and his wife Yusor, and called the shooting "an incredible tragedy for our school, the dental community and the University. Today, everyone here is grieving.[95]

At a prayer service and vigil held at N.C. State University on the evening of February 12, the dean of the university College of Design, Marvin Malecha, eulogized Razan Abu-Salha, who had been one of his students. "In the spirit of celebrating a life and a legacy, she will leave with us that gentle spirit and the determination to make this a better place for everyone," Malecha said. "There is no better legacy than that. It’s that legacy that will help us be more creative and more determined. We can only hope that a lesson will be learned from this and that lesson is that we must value every point of view, every way of looking at the world, because without that point of view, we will not be innovative, we will not be creative and we will not make the kind of contribution that is expected of us in a country where we have so much to offer."[51]

U.S. government reactions

On February 13, 2015, President Barack Obama issued a statement:

Yesterday, the FBI opened an inquiry into the brutal and outrageous murders of Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, Deah Shaddy Barakat, and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In addition to the ongoing investigation by local authorities, the FBI is taking steps to determine whether federal laws were violated. No one in the United States of America should ever be targeted because of who they are, what they look like, or how they worship. Michelle and I offer our condolences to the victims' loved ones. As we saw with the overwhelming presence at the funeral of these young Americans, we are all one American family. Whenever anyone is taken from us before their time, we remember how they lived their lives – and the words of one of the victims should inspire the way we live ours. 'Growing up in America has been such a blessing,' Yusor said recently. 'It doesn't matter where you come from. There's so many different people from so many different places, of different backgrounds and religions – but here, we're all one.'[96][97]

During a summit on countering violent extremism, President Obama stated "Americans of all faiths and backgrounds must continue to stand united with a community in mourning and insist that no one should ever be targeted because of who they are, what they look like, or how they worship."[98]

State and local leaders responded to the shootings with messages of condolence. Governor Pat McCrory said he was "saddened by the senseless acts." Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) said the "tragic events have left three dead and our community in mourning. My prayers are with their families. I have faith that law enforcement will assemble the facts and ensure that justice is carried out on behalf of those murdered," while junior senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) said that he and his wife Susan "join other North Carolinians and people across the nation in praying for the families of Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha as they bear the pain of this terrible tragedy and the loss of three young lives."

Representative David Price (D-NC) said the "appalling act of violence has shaken our community's sense of peace, and reminded us once again that we still face serious barriers to mutual acceptance. We must redouble our efforts to bridge the gaps of intolerance and hatred that divide our society." Chapel Hill mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said the deaths "represent an incomprehensible loss. I believe that we can find strength by acknowledging the fear and outrage that this act instills, coming together to ask difficult questions, and lifting up all people in our community who are hurting."[85] Kleinschmidt also said, "I share strong feelings of outrage and shock with my fellow citizens and University students — as well as concerned people everywhere."[82]

International reactions

  •  Indonesia – The Indonesian government condemned the fatal shootings and expressed hope the U.S. government would uphold justice for the victims. "We strongly condemn violence against any group in society. Violence is not a solution to anything," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said during a press conference in Jakarta.[99]
  •  Iran – Marja' Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, condemned a perceived Western propaganda campaign against Islam and, following the shootings, questioned the safety of Muslims in Europe and the United States. "You can see today what propaganda campaign is underway in Europe and the US against Muslims. The issue is not why Muslims do not have the required freedom in many of these (Western) countries; the issue is why they (Muslims) do not have life safety. What is seen in the world today is that the powers and government which claim to advocate fairness and justice, do not observe any fairness and justice except within the circle of their own narrow, limited and cruel policies." [100] On his Twitter account, the Supreme Leader used the hashtags "#ChapelHillShooting" and "#MuslimLivesMatter," tweeting "Arrogants who claim justice don’t respect any fairness towards Muslim minorities living in Western countries. #ChapelHillShooting," and "This isn’t abt why Muslims don’t have basic freedom in some parts of West; it is abt why they don't have physical safety! #MuslimLivesMatter"[101] Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, condemned the killings and deplored perceived Western double-standards. "The killing of a number of young Muslims in the U.S. once again outraged Muslims all over the world. What is deplorable is the double standards of Western officials and media on the killing of Muslims and non-Muslims," Larijani said at the Sunday session of parliament.[102][103]
  •  Jordan – Queen Rania expressed her condolences through Twitter, saying: "More innocent lives lost... RIP Deah, Yusur and Razan, my thoughts and prayers are with your families #muslimlivesmatter"[26] The Abu-Salha sisters held both Jordanian and American citizenship. On February 13, Dr. Alia Bouran, the Jordanian ambassador to the United States, traveled to North Carolina and met with the Barakat and Abu-Salha families. She expressed her sympathies and conveyed those of the Jordanian king, government and people. In a statement issued by the Jordanian embassy in Washington, the embassy said it was closely following the investigation and had established contacts with United States law enforcement officials.[27]
  •  Lebanon – The Lebanese government termed the murders a "crime against humanity" and "terrorism".[104]
  •  Morocco – Abdelilah Benkirane, the Head of Government of Morocco, denounced "a savage campaign" against Muslims in Western nations. At a press conference, Mustapha El Khalfi, the Minister of Communications and Spokesperson for the Government, said Benkirane had "dwelt on the savage campaign of victimisation against Moroccans and others of the Muslim faith, that has lately exceeded reasonable limits in certain Western nations." Khalfi said the Head of Government had specifically mentioned "the violence inflicted on a Moroccan child by the Swedish police, the stabbing murder of a Moroccan in France and also the shooting deaths of three Muslim students in the United States." The Head of Government also said, "These crimes must elicit firm and collective denunciation, especially on the part of those who condemn all terrorist acts."[105]
  •  State of Palestine – The Palestinian government condemned the killings as "terrorism", and termed Hicks "an American extremist and hateful racist", saying the incident suggested a rise in dangerous discrimination against American Muslims. In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said they considered the incident "a serious indication of the growth of racism and religious extremism which is a direct threat to the lives of hundreds of thousands of American citizens who follow the Islamic faith." The ministry called for "a serious investigation and the involvement of Palestinian investigators to clarify the circumstances of these assassinations and premeditated murders."[106][107]
  •  Saudi Arabia – The Saudi Arabian government offered its condolences to the families of "the victims of terrorism and their relatives", stating it "has followed up with great sorrow the heinous terrorist and criminal incidents [that] recently occurred in the Danish capital of Copenhagen and the US State of North Carolina and resulted in [the] killing and injuring [of] innocent people. As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reaffirms its position calling for the need for respecting religions, human beliefs, not prejudicing [against] religious symbols and not inciting against Muslims, it simultaneously stresses its rejection of all heinous terrorist and criminal acts in all their forms and manifestations, and any source or belief that stands behind them."[108]
  •  Turkey – President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized U.S. President Obama for not making a public statement in respect of the shooting. During a press conference in Mexico, Erdogan said, "These three were killed in their own home and the leader responsible for the country has said nothing. I say to Mr Obama, where are you Mr President? I say to Biden, where are you?....As leaders, we are responsible for the murders in our own country and people vote for us to police. If we keep quiet, they will always keep quiet....If you stay silent when faced with an incident like this, and don't make a statement, the world will stay silent towards you."[109][110][111][112] In response to Erdogan's comment, U.S. Department of State spokesperson Jen Psaki said the Obama administration is saddened by the senseless killing of three Muslim Americans in North Carolina but rejected Erdoğan's questioning of U.S. officials' reaction to the killings.[113] Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said he hoped "there is no racist act behind these murders. But it is too early to say so. When it is clarified, all administrations in the EU and the U.S. will be able to show the common attitude....[ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant], is a terrorist organization, you can define it, you can limit it or react against it. But what kind of precautions are we able to take against racist moves that have ISIS mentality in the EU and U.S.?"[114]
  •  United Nations – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was deeply moved by scenes of thousands of people mourning their deaths. "At a time of troubling tensions stoked by those who seek to twist the teachings of faith and sow division, these three young people represented the best values of global citizenship and active community compassion to build a better world for all," he added.[115] He urged United States authorities to investigate the shooting as a possible hate crime.[116]

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    See also "Pres. Obama Addresses Chapel Hill Mourners At White House Violent Extremism Summit". wunc.org. February 19, 2015. Most recently, with the brutal murders in Chapel Hill of three young Muslim-Americans, many Muslim-Americans are worried and afraid, and I want to be as clear as I can be. As Americans - all faiths and backgrounds - we stand with you in your grief, and we offer our love and we offer our support. - President Obama
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