Craig Hicks, 46, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder following the shooting deaths of three students at an apartment complex near UNC’s campus in Chapel Hill.
According to the Chapel Hill police, a preliminary investigation indicates the crime was motivated by an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking.
The victims are Deah Barakat, 23, of Chapel Hill; his wife, Yusor Abu-Salha, 21; and her sister, Razan Abu-Salha, 19, of Raleigh.
Barakat was a graduate student at UNC. Razan attended N.C. State, and Yusor was preparing to enter UNC dental school.
According to a police statement, Chapel Hill officers responded to a report of gunshots in the area of Summerwalk Circle in Chapel Hill. The three victims were discovered and pronounced dead on the scene.
Hicks is being held in Durham County Jail without bond. He is cooperating with investigators. The three victims are reportedly Muslim, and social media commentators have questioned whether the shooting was motivated by religious hatred.
