Chapel Hill Murder (Photo : www.nbcnews.com)
More than 2,000 people turned up for a vigil to mourn the three Chapel Hill shooting victims at the University of North Carolina. The three Muslim students were also honored prior to a basketball event at the University, where students paid respect by wearing green ribbons.
Deah Barakat, a student of advanced dentistry, and his wife Yusor Mohammad were both killed in the Chapel Hill shooting incident. Mohammad's sister Razan Abu-Salha, a student of the University, was the third victim in what is being reported as violence resulting over a "parking dispute".
While the family of the deceased have already dubbed this a "hate crime", Attorney of the Middle District of North Carolina Ripley Rand expressed his belief that the killings were an isolated incident and did not signify a "targeted campaign against Muslims", according to NBC News.
The vigil was attended by family and friends of the deceased, who shared stories and remembrances about the three amidst growing speculation about the motive behind the killings.
The victims were also among the five people honored at the start of the basketball event at the University. Abdul-Malik Abu, a started on the men's team and close friend of the deceased couple, said about Barakat - "He was one of the people that you see that make an impact on your life right away" and lauded the good-natured and charitable persona of Barakat, as per a Fox News report.
Craig Stephen Hicks, the man responsible for the shooting, has been slapped with first-degree murder charges in an ongoing investigation.
