Chapel Hill Vigil (Photo : www.bbc.com)
Thousands of mourners attended the funeral of the three university Muslim students who were shot dead, execution style, due to a possible hate crime. The victims were newly weds Deah Barakat, 23, and Yusor Abu-Salha, 21, and Abu-Salha's sister, Razan Abu-Salha, 19. The tragic incident was said to be a possible hate crime or a parking dispute.
The father of the Abu-Salha sisters, Mohammad Abu-Salha, told police that this is an obvious hate crime because of their religious beliefs.
Police are investigating the suspect, Craig Hicks, for a possible angle of religious hate. Hicks surrendered to the authorities few hours after the incident and was arrested and charged for three murders.
Chris Blue, the Chapel Hill police chief, promised at the funeral service that his officers will investigate further every lead, which includes a possible deeper reason than a parking row, BBC reported.
Hicks' wife defended him and told authorities this has nothing to do with the religion of the victims. But neighbors describe Hicks as always angry and confrontational state.
The funeral ceremony was held outdoors in a soccer field and was attended by thousands of mourners. The service spoke of love, respect for people of all faiths and justice.
"Christians, Muslims and Jews alike, put mercy in your hearts. All lives matter," one speaker told the crowd.
North Carolina police department estimated the funeral attendees to be around 6,000 in attendance, according to Daily News.
