The shootings of three Muslim students near the University of North Carolina campus 'are not part of a targeted campaign against Muslims,' US Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina Ripley Rand told reporters on Wednesday. Craig Stephen Hicks, a 46-year-old white man who had posted anti-religious messages on Facebook, was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the shootings on Tuesday. According to the British newspaper the Independent, the three Muslims, who were all from the same family, were in their home when a 46-year-old man identified by police as Craig Stephen Hicks gunned them down. The victims have been named as Deah Shaddy Barakat, his wife Yusor Mohammad, 21, and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19. Barakat was a dental student at the University of North Carolina. According to the Independent, he had spent time as a volunteer giving free dental care to Palestinian children. His Twitter account features posts about local sports as well as matters relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It's so freaking sad to hear people saying we should 'kill Jews' or 'Kill Palestinians'. As if that's going to solve anything SMH — Deah Barakat (@arabprodigy30) January 28, 2015 A glance at the suspect's Facebook page reveals a number of atheist-inspired posts as well as one photograph of a gun being weighed on a scale. In response to the gruesome murder, a number of prominent atheists took to social media to issue condemnations. Somebody wake up @billmaher, an atheist leader has yet to apologize for #ChapelHillShooting. I can't do all the apologizing myself — Jeb Boone (@JebBoone) February 11, 2015 How could any decent person NOT condemn the vile murder of three young US Muslims in Chapel Hill? http://t.co/pdtwnKqYG3 — Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) February 11, 2015 I call on @SamHarrisOrg @billmaher @RichardDawkins to join me and other atheists in condemning #ChapelHillShooting — Jeb Boone (@JebBoone) February 11, 2015
