USA: Three Muslim students murdered at North Carolina campus

Police captures suspect after three Muslim Americans are shot dead at University of North Carolina campus.

Friends and family, and online community condemning the murder shared victims’ photos online following the incident [Facebook]

by Al Jazeera

Three American students have been shot dead at a residential complex of University of North Carolina and a suspect has been arrested over the incident, according to the local police.

Chapel Hill police told local news outlets that Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, was arrested and charged with killing the three Muslim students. He is being held at the Durham County Jail.

Police said they responded to a report of gunshots at around 5:15pm on Tuesday, and found three people who were pronounced dead at the scene.

The victims were identified as 23-year-old Deah Shaddy Barakat, his 21-year-old wife Yusor Mohammad and 19-year-old Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, police said.

Police said the investigation was continuing.

Whatever emerges from the #ChapelHillShooting, pray for the families of Deah Barakat and Yusor and Razan Abu-Salha. pic.twitter.com/BMn9kwOpks

— Joe Catron (@jncatron) February 11, 2015

Residents told local media that the complex was a peaceful place.

“It’s a very quiet community,” Bethany Boring, who lives in the complex, told television station WRAL.

“It’s a lot of graduate and professional students. You know, professionals’ families.”

Friends and family and the online community shared photos of the victims via social media after the incident.

The hashtag #ChapelHillShooting went viral after the incident was reported, many of the tweets criticising the US and other Western media for not covering the shooting.

No breaking news here !? @CNN @BBCWorld @FOXTV @washingtonpost @NewYorkTimes11 #ChapelHillshooting pic.twitter.com/Gm1mFafaIW

— Rasha (@rbarghash) February 11, 2015