North Carolina police have charged a self-described atheist with the murder of three Muslims on the Chapel Hill campus of the University of North Carolina on Tuesday.
The victims were a young couple, ages 23 and 21, and a 19-year-old youth. All three were shot in the head, allegedly by Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, who turned himself after the murders.
All three victims were described as well-liked people. The young couple married in December,
The brother of one of the victims wrote on Facebook, “We live as Muslims to die as Muslims. May Allah enter them to the highest of paradise.”
Social media users complained that media did not adequately report the murders.
Police have not stated if they know the motive behind the killings, but the alleged murderer’s Facebook page includes a posting stating, “People say nothing can solve the Middle East problem, not mediation, not arms, not financial aid. I say there is something. Atheism.”