Revision as of 05:05, 16 February 2015 edit124.180.167.228 (talk) →International reactions← Previous edit | Revision as of 05:12, 16 February 2015 edit undoClassicfilms (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users78,533 edits Undid revision 647352098 by 124.180.167.228 (talk) rvt. vandalismNext edit → | ||
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* {{flag|Lebanon}} – The ] termed the murders a "crime against humanity" and "terrorism".<ref name="Middle East reacts">{{cite web|url=http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/american_terrorist_middle_east_reacts_murder_3_muslim-american_20150414|title=Middle East Reacts to Murder of 3 Muslim-American Students in North Carolina |accessdate=February 14, 2015|date=February 14, 2015|publisher=truthdig.com}}</ref> | * {{flag|Lebanon}} – The ] termed the murders a "crime against humanity" and "terrorism".<ref name="Middle East reacts">{{cite web|url=http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/american_terrorist_middle_east_reacts_murder_3_muslim-american_20150414|title=Middle East Reacts to Murder of 3 Muslim-American Students in North Carolina |accessdate=February 14, 2015|date=February 14, 2015|publisher=truthdig.com}}</ref> | ||
* {{flag|Morocco}} – ], the Head of Government of Morocco, denounced "a savage campaign" against Muslims in Western nations. At a press conference, ], the Minister of Communications and Spokesperson for the Government, said Benkirane had "dwelt on the savage campaign of victimisation against Moroccans and others of the Muslim faith, that has lately exceeded reasonable limits in certain Western nations." Khalfi said the Head of Government had specifically mentioned "the violence inflicted on a Moroccan child by the Swedish police, the stabbing murder of a Moroccan in France and also the shooting deaths of three Muslim students in the United States." According to the Head of Government, "These crimes must elicit firm and collective denunciation, especially on the part of those who condemn all terrorist acts."<ref name="Moroccan premier">{{cite web|url=http://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/detail_maroc-le-premier-ministre-denonce-une-campagne-sauvage-contre-des-musulmans-en-occident?id=8905747|title=Maroc: le premier ministre dénonce une "campagne sauvage" contre des musulmans en Occident (fr) |accessdate=February 15, 2015|date=February 12, 2015|publisher=rtbf.be}}</ref> | * {{flag|Morocco}} – ], the Head of Government of Morocco, denounced "a savage campaign" against Muslims in Western nations. At a press conference, ], the Minister of Communications and Spokesperson for the Government, said Benkirane had "dwelt on the savage campaign of victimisation against Moroccans and others of the Muslim faith, that has lately exceeded reasonable limits in certain Western nations." Khalfi said the Head of Government had specifically mentioned "the violence inflicted on a Moroccan child by the Swedish police, the stabbing murder of a Moroccan in France and also the shooting deaths of three Muslim students in the United States." According to the Head of Government, "These crimes must elicit firm and collective denunciation, especially on the part of those who condemn all terrorist acts."<ref name="Moroccan premier">{{cite web|url=http://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/detail_maroc-le-premier-ministre-denonce-une-campagne-sauvage-contre-des-musulmans-en-occident?id=8905747|title=Maroc: le premier ministre dénonce une "campagne sauvage" contre des musulmans en Occident (fr) |accessdate=February 15, 2015|date=February 12, 2015|publisher=rtbf.be}}</ref> | ||
* {{flag|Palestine}} – The ] condemned the killings as "terrorism", and termed Hicks "an American extremist and hateful racist", saying the incident suggested a rise in dangerous discrimination against American Muslims. In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said they considered the incident "a serious indication of the growth of racism and religious extremism which is a direct threat to the lives of hundreds of thousands of American citizens who follow the Islamic faith." The ministry called for "a serious investigation and the involvement of Palestinian investigators to clarify the circumstances of these assassinations and premeditated murders."<ref name="Palestinian role probing">{{cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/14/us-usa-northcarolina-murders-palestinian-idUSKBN0LI0I720150214|title=Palestinians want role in probing 'terrorist' killings of Chapel Hill Muslims|accessdate=February 14, 2015|date=February 14, 2015|publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
* {{flag|Saudi Arabia}} – The ] offered its condolences to the families of "the victims of terrorism and their relatives," stating it "has followed up with great sorrow the heinous terrorist and criminal incidents recently occurred in the Danish capital of Copenhagen and the US State of North Carolina and resulted in killing and injuring innocent people. As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reaffirms its position calling for the need for respecting religions, human beliefs, not prejudicing religious symbols and not inciting against Muslims, it simultaneously stresses its rejection of all heinous terrorist and criminal acts in all their forms and manifestations, and any source or belief that stands behind them."<ref name="Saudi condolences">{{cite web|url=http://www.spa.gov.sa/English/search.php?pg=1&s=North+Carolina&by1=n|title=Official Source: Kingdom condemns terrorist and criminal incidents in Copenhagen and North Carolina State |accessdate=February 15, 2015|date=February 15, 2015|publisher=spa.gov.sa}}</ref> | * {{flag|Saudi Arabia}} – The ] offered its condolences to the families of "the victims of terrorism and their relatives," stating it "has followed up with great sorrow the heinous terrorist and criminal incidents recently occurred in the Danish capital of Copenhagen and the US State of North Carolina and resulted in killing and injuring innocent people. As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reaffirms its position calling for the need for respecting religions, human beliefs, not prejudicing religious symbols and not inciting against Muslims, it simultaneously stresses its rejection of all heinous terrorist and criminal acts in all their forms and manifestations, and any source or belief that stands behind them."<ref name="Saudi condolences">{{cite web|url=http://www.spa.gov.sa/English/search.php?pg=1&s=North+Carolina&by1=n|title=Official Source: Kingdom condemns terrorist and criminal incidents in Copenhagen and North Carolina State |accessdate=February 15, 2015|date=February 15, 2015|publisher=spa.gov.sa}}</ref> | ||
* {{flag|Turkey}} – ] ] said he hoped "there is no racist act behind these murders. But it is too early to say so. When it is clarified, all administrations in the EU and the U.S. will be able to show the common attitude...., is a terrorist organization, you can define it, you can limit it or react against it. But what kind of precautions are we able to take against racist moves that have ISIS mentality in the EU and U.S.?"<ref name="common attitude">{{cite web|url=http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/02/12/pm-calls-for-common-attitude-against-islamophobia-after-murder-of-three-muslims-in-us|title=PM calls for common attitude against Islamophobia after murder of three Muslims in US |accessdate=February 12, 2015|date=February 11, 2015|publisher=dailysabah.com}}</ref> | * {{flag|Turkey}} – ] ] said he hoped "there is no racist act behind these murders. But it is too early to say so. When it is clarified, all administrations in the EU and the U.S. will be able to show the common attitude...., is a terrorist organization, you can define it, you can limit it or react against it. But what kind of precautions are we able to take against racist moves that have ISIS mentality in the EU and U.S.?"<ref name="common attitude">{{cite web|url=http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/02/12/pm-calls-for-common-attitude-against-islamophobia-after-murder-of-three-muslims-in-us|title=PM calls for common attitude against Islamophobia after murder of three Muslims in US |accessdate=February 12, 2015|date=February 11, 2015|publisher=dailysabah.com}}</ref> |
Revision as of 05:12, 16 February 2015
It has been suggested that this article be merged with Muslim Lives Matter. (Discuss) Proposed since February 2015. |
2015 Chapel Hill shooting | |
---|---|
Location | Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S. |
Coordinates | 35°53′48.8″N 79°0′32.1″W / 35.896889°N 79.008917°W / 35.896889; -79.008917 |
Date | February 10, 2015 c. 5:15 p.m. (EDT) |
Attack type | Shooting |
Weapons | Firearm |
Deaths | 3 |
On February 10, 2015, Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha were killed in their home, Finley Forest Condominiums, on Summerwalk Circle in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Barakat was a second-year student in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, his wife Yusor was a North Carolina State University graduate planning to enter UNC Dentistry School in the fall, and her sister Razan was a student at North Carolina State University.
Chapel Hill police arrested their next-door neighbor Craig Stephen Hicks, who allegedly shot and killed the three people in a single attack. On February 10, the Chapel Hill Police Department stated their "preliminary investigation indicates that the crime was motivated by an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking. Hicks is cooperating with investigators." Hicks was charged with three counts of first-degree murder. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Justice have also launched investigations.
Shooting
On February 10, 2015, local police in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, responded to a report of gunshots heard at 5:15 p.m. Upon arriving at the Finley Forest Condominiums, located on Summerwalk Circle at Chapel Hill, a woman told them a friend was bleeding, and directed them to a condominium. There, they found Barakat lying dead in the front doorway bleeding from the head. One of the Abu-Salha sisters was found dead in the kitchen, with the other lying in its doorway. All three victims had been killed with gunshot wounds to the head, and were pronounced dead at the scene. A witness outside told police he had heard shots and seen a man leaving the condominium and driving off in a gold car. Police found eight shell casings in the living room and a bullet somewhere inside, according to a warrant. They seized three cellphones, a watch, two sets of keys and Barakat's wallet and keychain.
The victims' next-door neighbor, Craig Stephen Hicks, a 46-year-old former car parts salesman, turned himself in to sheriff's deputies in nearby Pittsboro on the night of the shooting.
Victims
Three people (two of whom were students) were killed:
- Deah Shaddy Barakat, age 23, a Syrian American of Palestinian origin, A 2013 graduate of North Carolina State University who had majored in business administration, he was a second-year student in the UNC school of dentistry. He and 10 other dental students were planning to travel to Turkey to treat Syrian refugees as part of a project organized by UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry and the Syrian-American Medical Society.
- Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, age 21, a Jordanian American of Palestinian descent and the wife of Deah Shaddy Barakat. Born in Jordan, she emigrated to the United States at the age of six months. A 2014 graduate of North Carolina State University, she had graduated with a bachelor's degree in biological sciences, and was planning to enter UNC in the fall to study dentistry.
- Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, age 19, a Jordanian American of Palestinian descent and a sister of Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha. Born in the United States, she was a sophomore in the North Carolina State University College of Design, majoring in architecture and environmental design.
Suspect
Craig Stephen Hicks was studying to become a paralegal at Durham Technical Community College at the time of the shooting. He was described by the school as an "exemplary student" who was opinionated but high-achieving and was said to help other students with their work. Neighbors described Hicks as threatening. He complained about the noise of one resident playing a card game and playing music when she pulled into the lot. Hicks wrote on Facebook about reporting a couple having sex in a car in the parking lot to the police. In 2013, Hicks reported a dispute between a tow truck driver and a car's owner to police, and walked to the parking lot with a gun.
Hicks had moved to Chapel Hill in 2005 from Bethalto, Illinois. He has been divorced twice. Cynthia Hurley, a former wife of Hicks who divorced him around 1998, said he enjoyed the 1993 film Falling Down about an unemployed defense engineer's shooting rampage, and that "he watched it incessantly." "That always freaked me out," she said. "He thought it was hilarious. He had no compassion at all." Another marriage, which lasted just five months, ended in 2005 when Hicks left his wife and their two-month-old daughter before divorce proceedings could be completed. Martha Landson, his former mother-in-law from that marriage, said, "He was an unhappy, angry person. The first time I met him, there was something in his eyes." Landson said the family had stayed quiet on her daughter's brief marriage to Hicks to protect their now 10-year-old daughter, who has no idea her father has been jailed in connection to the shooting. Though Hicks had been allowed to visit his daughter on alternate Saturdays, he had not done so in the preceding decade, according to Landson. Court documents have shown Hicks' former wife had financially supported the couple during their marriage, and that Hicks has been perpetually unemployed. At the time of the shooting, he had no income or cash at hand. His assets were listed as his 2000 Nissan Sentra (worth $2,000), and his Finley Forest condo (worth $105,000).
A friend of Yusor stated that Hicks was "holding a rifle" while complaining about extra cars in the neighborhood and noise from their game of Risk. Another resident and a friend of Barakat and Yusor Abu-Salha told the Associated Press that "Hicks complained about once a month that the two men were parking in a visitor's space as well as their assigned spot. 'He would come over to the door. Knock on the door and then have a gun on his hip saying 'you guys need to not park here.' Both Hicks and his neighbors complained to the property managers who warned them to call the police if they were harassed again."
Hicks had a publicly viewable Facebook page where he had uploaded an image of his .38 caliber revolver and set his profile image to one stating "Atheists for Equality". On his Facebook page, he described himself as an anti-theist, and posted numerous images which condemned all religions and religious violence. Hicks was critical of Christian opponents of the Park51 project, stating, "Seems an overwhelming majority of Christians in this country feel that the Muslims are using the Ground Zero mosque plans to 'mark their conquest bunch of hypocrites, everywhere I've been in this country there are churches marking the Christian conquest of this country from the Native Americans." CNN religion editor Daniel Burke interprets Hicks' response to conspiracy theories about President Barack Obama's religion as "It's OK if we have a Muslim president." Hicks had set a banner image on his page to one stating, "I don't deny you your right to believe whatever you'd like; but I have the right to point out it's ignorant and dangerous for as long as your baseless superstitions keep killing people." In another Facebook post, Hicks stated, "I give your religion as much respect as your religion gives me there's nothing complicated about it, and I have every right to insult a religion that goes out of its way to insult, to judge and to condemn me as an inadequate human being -- which your religion does with self-righteous gusto."
Hicks is a gun rights advocate with a concealed weapons permit who had 13 firearms in his house. Hicks complained about Christians and Muslims on his Facebook page. Hicks wrote, "Some call me a gun toting liberal, others call me an open-minded conservative." Hicks voted in two recent elections, as a Democrat and once on a nonpartisan ballot.
Aftermath
Investigations
On February 10, the Chapel Hill Police Department said their investigation indicates that the crime was motivated by an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking. After Hicks surrendered to police, investigators swabbed the driver's door handle and steering wheel of his Nissan for evidence, and seized his vehicle registration and insurance card. On February 11, Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt stated: "the Chapel Hill Police Department is using all available resources to determine whether hate was a motivating factor. All we know for certain at this time is that it was a senseless and tragic act surrounding a longstanding dispute We do not know whether anti-Muslim bias played a role in this crime, but I do recognize the fear that members of our community may feel. Chapel Hill is a place for everyone, a place where Muslim lives matter." Investigators searched Hicks' home and seized two fully loaded handguns, a fully loaded AR-15 Bushmaster rifle, two shotguns, five other rifles, two other handguns and two pellet guns. They also seized numerous magazines with varying amounts of ammunition, boxes of ammunition, shotgun shells, BBs, gun scopes and other gun-related items, according to a warrant. Investigators also seized two desktop computers, three cellphones and a digital camera.
On February 12, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrived at the condominiums and the FBI announced it had launched "a parallel preliminary inquiry to determine whether or not any federal laws were violated related to the case."
On February 13, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said that civil-rights lawyers in the U.S. Department of Justice have opened an investigation to determine if this was a hate crime. Holder stated that, "Like all Americans, I was shocked and saddened by this week’s heinous murders of three young people in Chapel Hill, North Carolina I have made available the full resources of the Justice Department to help ensure that justice will be served in this case."
Local investigators met on the morning of February 13 with FBI agents and federal and Durham County prosecutors to discuss the case. It was thought Hicks' charges could go before a Durham County grand jury as early as February 16, but prosecutors had not then decided whether to pursue the death penalty.
Memorials
Family members created a Facebook page dedicated to the three victims entitled "Our Three Winners." In addition, Deah Barakat had been a co-organizer of a fundraising drive established through the UNC School of Dentistry and the Syrian-American Medical Society. Named "Syrian Dental Relief," the fund was intended to provide dental care to Syrian refugees in Turkey. Prior to his death, approximately $3,000 of a $20,000 goal had been raised. In the days following his murder, donations swelled the fund to close to $300,000, with many donors leaving messages of condolence and support. The donations page was shared over 47,000 times.
On February 11, a few thousand people attended a vigil in "The Pit" at the center of the UNC campus. Deah's mother Layla Barakat told the students, "He died of hate crime and his legacy is never hate. You don't respond back by hating the other. You respond back by love. By peace, by mercy. That's Deah's way." Deah's brother, Farris added: "If, and it was quite possible, that this was an act based off of evil and a scared ignorant man, do not let ignorance propagate in your life do not reply to ignorance with ignorance. Become an amazing, bright intellectual leader that I know this university can create." Chancellors from UNC, North Carolina State University, and North Carolina Central University attended the vigil.
Vigils were also held in Washington, Ottawa, Gaza and other cities. Students also organized vigils at universities across the United States, including at the University of Chicago, UCLA, Temple University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
A public funeral was held on February 12 at North Carolina State University. It was hosted by the Islamic Association of Raleigh; an estimated 5,500 people attended. NCSU's Muslim Student Association also held a prayer service and candlelight vigil the same evening on the Brickyard, the central plaza on the main university campus. An estimated 3,000 students, faculty, staff and members of the local community attended the vigil despite the cold and strong winds which kept the candles from being lit; instead, cellphone lights were used. Governor McCrory and the chancellors of N.C. State and UNC Chapel Hill attended the vigil and delivered remarks. Speaking at the vigil, Farris Barakat, also an alumnus of N.C. State University, discussed his deep family ties to the university and his hopes that it "means something to each and every student at NC State. I hope that means we somehow touched your heart in a way that you can live in their legacy and you can take what they did that was good and you can live it in your life. It is the best thing you can do for my family now. Thank you all. We love you. God bless each of you. My faith has me very strong, very happy and very comforted. I hope you are too." His sister Suzanne Barakat also spoke, flashing the wolf-hand sign popular among N.C. State students and alumni. She spoke of her younger brother's commitment to serving others, and his wife's and sister's volunteer and charitable contributions to the greater community. "The message that we want to share is spread love, spread awareness because these three people were nothing but love and kindness. I'm sure they would want you to continue that for them."
Response
The shooting was covered by media outlets including The New York Times, BBC, and The Guardian as well as newspapers in France, India, and Israel. At the same time, social media contributors asked whether the incident would have received faster and more extensive media coverage if the victims had been non-Muslims and the perpetrator had been Muslim. The Twitter hashtag #ChapelHillShooting appeared over 900,000 times and trended in the United States, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and several other countries. The hashtag #MuslimLivesMatter was used over 100,000 times. Hicks' Facebook page contained quotations from noted ethologist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, who is an atheist. Dawkins condemned the murders, tweeting, "How could any decent person NOT condemn the vile murder of three young US Muslims in Chapel Hill?"
Victim's family
Deah's sister, Dr. Suzanne Barakat, questioned the issue of parking as a cause in an interview with MSNBC's Morning Joe. She said that Deah's unit had an assigned parking space, Hick's had an assigned parking space, and there was a third space designated for guest parking. However, Hicks had told Deah not to use the designated guest parking space as Hicks said it was for his wife. While the complex manager confirmed that the additional space was designated for visitors' parking, Barakat said that her brother went to great lengths to have his guests use other guest parking spots which he mapped out for them. Finally, she stated, the day before this interview, the parking area was observed and no car related to her family or friends was in that designated guest parking spot. In a later interview with CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper, Barakat reinforced her belief that this was not a parking dispute as at the time of the murders, a car belonging to a member of her family was not parked in the space designated as guest parking by the complex agency, but which Hicks claimed belonged to his wife. Barakat then said that "had roles been reversed and the man was Muslim, of Arab descent, of South Asian descent, this would have immediately been labeled an act of terror. I haven't heard anyone use the term terrorist here why the double standard? He has terrorized our families, he has terrorized our lives, he has terrorized our community locally, nationally, and internationally and it's time that people call it for what it is."
Yousef Abu-Salha, the brother of the two women, also reiterated in an interview with RT that on the day they were murdered, no one was parked in the guest parking spot that Hicks "used to make a fuss about." He also said that prior to Deah's marriage to his sister, he and his former roommate, Imad, had "plenty of run-ins" with Hicks that escalated when his sister arrived wearing a headscarf. Abu-Salha states that in return, his sister treated Hicks with kindness, and added, "First of all, we are peaceful. That's what our faith preaches. We don't seek vengeance. We treat our enemies with kindness. But we would like this crime to be labeled as it should be because that is the only we can seek justice." In a different interview, his father Dr. Mohammad Abu-Salha, said that this "was a hate crime" due to their religion and culture. He said that his daughter "told her family a week ago that she had 'a hateful neighbor.'" Abu-Salha also said "this man had picked on my daughter and her husband a couple of times before, and he talked with them with his gun in his belt. And they were uncomfortable with him, but they did not know he would go this far."
Suspect's family
According to his current wife Karen (who has also announced that she is divorcing him), he did not commit the shooting due to religious bias, but because of a longstanding parking dispute, and that he had problems with several other neighbors. She also said that Hicks supported same-sex marriage, abortion rights, and racial equality. The New York Daily News states that Hicks' mother-in-law from a former marriage, Martha Landson, "has trouble believing Hicks’ history of anger could have led to his alleged deadly outburst." Landson stated that Hicks "just didn’t like people."
Muslim community
Council on American–Islamic Relations National Executive Director Nihad Awad responded by stating, "Based on the brutal nature of this crime, the past anti-religion statements of the alleged perpetrator, the religious attire of two of the victims, and the rising anti-Muslim rhetoric in American society, we urge state and federal law enforcement authorities to quickly address speculation of a possible bias motive in this case." Abdullah Antepli, director of Muslim affairs at nearby Duke University, urged people not to jump to conclusions on the motive.
Mirna Barq, president of the Syrian American Council (SAC), said, "Today, the world lost three beautiful souls just as they were entering the prime of their lives. This is a great tragedy for the Syrian-American community, for Arab Americans and for all Americans, and we mourn all three of them as one of our own. We also wish to honor the victims' devotion to helping the neediest Syrians and to uplifting the Syrian people."
Iyad bin Amin Madani, the secretary-general of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, condemned the killings, saying "This gruesome crime has left Muslims worldwide in a state of shock and has raised concerns of the growing feelings of hatred towards Muslims and the increase of acts linked to Islamophobia in the United States." He urged the US government to take measures to protect society there from "negative images, discrimination, and stereotyping that contradict the core values of the American society," and called for international cooperation to fight "extremism, violence, and religious intolerance, as well as hate crimes and (acts) that incite them."
Civil rights and faith groups
According to CNN, 150 civil rights and faith groups have signed a letter sent to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder asking for a federal hate crime investigation. The letter, which was signed by "a number of Islamic and Arab organizations plus Jewish, Sikh, Asian American and other groups", stated, "Federal leadership is necessary in this case in order to send the strongest message to the public that acts of violence like these have no place in civil society and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law as American Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim now, more than ever, fear for their safety, the American people need to hear a strong message our nation's chief law enforcement officer."
Universities
Randy Woodson, the chancellor of N.C. State University, where all three victims had been students, said, "Senseless acts like this go against all of our beliefs. A core value of N.C. State is respect for diversity in all its forms. We strive to maintain an environment where everyone feels safe, respected and valued." Carol Folt, the chancellor of UNC Chapel Hill, said "Such an act of violence goes against the very fiber of our community and society. It also creates a sense of vulnerability for all of us, especially members of the Muslim community. Dr. Jane Weintraub, the dean of the University of North Carolina Dental School, said the community was "heartbroken and grief-stricken by...the incredible loss to our school and to the entire Carolina Community." She paid special tribute to Deah Barakat and his wife Yusor, and called the shooting "an incredible tragedy for our school, the dental community and the University. Today, everyone here is grieving.
At a prayer service and vigil held at N.C. State University on the evening of February 12, the dean of the university College of Design, Marvin Malecha, eulogized Razan Abu-Salha, who had been one of his students. "In the spirit of celebrating a life and a legacy, she will leave with us that gentle spirit and the determination to make this a better place for everyone," Malecha said. "There is no better legacy than that. It’s that legacy that will help us be more creative and more determined. We can only hope that a lesson will be learned from this and that lesson is that we must value every point of view, every way of looking at the world, because without that point of view, we will not be innovative, we will not be creative and we will not make the kind of contribution that is expected of us in a country where we have so much to offer."
U.S. politicians
On February 12, Josh Earnest, the White House Press Secretary, said the White House had "no specific reaction" and that as it was the "very beginning of an ongoing local law enforcement investigation," they would await the results of the investigation before issuing a statement. He also said that President Barack Obama had not contacted the families at that point.
On February 13, President Obama issued a statement:
- Yesterday, the FBI opened an inquiry into the brutal and outrageous murders of Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, Deah Shaddy Barakat, and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In addition to the ongoing investigation by local authorities, the FBI is taking steps to determine whether federal laws were violated. No one in the United States of America should ever be targeted because of who they are, what they look like, or how they worship. Michelle and I offer our condolences to the victims' loved ones. As we saw with the overwhelming presence at the funeral of these young Americans, we are all one American family. Whenever anyone is taken from us before their time, we remember how they lived their lives – and the words of one of the victims should inspire the way we live ours. 'Growing up in America has been such a blessing,' Yusor said recently. 'It doesn't matter where you come from. There's so many different people from so many different places, of different backgrounds and religions – but here, we're all one.'
State and local leaders responded to the shootings with messages of condolence. Governor Pat McCrory said he was "saddened by the senseless acts." Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) said the "tragic events have left three dead and our community in mourning. My prayers are with their families. I have faith that law enforcement will assemble the facts and ensure that justice is carried out on behalf of those murdered," while junior senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) said that he and his wife Susan "join other North Carolinians and people across the nation in praying for the families of Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha as they bear the pain of this terrible tragedy and the loss of three young lives."
Representative David Price (D-NC) said the "appalling act of violence has shaken our community's sense of peace, and reminded us once again that we still face serious barriers to mutual acceptance. We must redouble our efforts to bridge the gaps of intolerance and hatred that divide our society." Chapel Hill mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said the deaths "represent an incomprehensible loss. I believe that we can find strength by acknowledging the fear and outrage that this act instills, coming together to ask difficult questions, and lifting up all people in our community who are hurting." Kleinschmidt also said, "I share strong feelings of outrage and shock with my fellow citizens and University students — as well as concerned people everywhere."
International reactions
- Muslim nations
- Indonesia – The Indonesian government condemned the fatal shootings and expressed hope the U.S. government would uphold justice for the victims. "We strongly condemn violence against any group in society. Violence is not a solution to anything," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said during a press conference in Jakarta.
- Jordan – Queen Rania expressed her condolences through Twitter, saying, "More innocent lives lost... RIP Deah, Yusur and Razan, my thoughts and prayers are with your families #muslimlivesmatter". The Abu-Salha sisters held both Jordanian and American citizenship. On February 13, Dr. Alia Bouran, the Jordanian ambassador to the United States, traveled to North Carolina and met with the Barakat and Abu-Salha families. She expressed her sympathies and conveyed those of the Jordanian king, government and people. In a statement issued by the Jordanian embassy in Washington, the embassy said it was closely following the investigation and had established contacts with United States law enforcement officials.
- Lebanon – The Lebanese government termed the murders a "crime against humanity" and "terrorism".
- Morocco – Abdelilah Benkirane, the Head of Government of Morocco, denounced "a savage campaign" against Muslims in Western nations. At a press conference, Mustapha El Khalfi, the Minister of Communications and Spokesperson for the Government, said Benkirane had "dwelt on the savage campaign of victimisation against Moroccans and others of the Muslim faith, that has lately exceeded reasonable limits in certain Western nations." Khalfi said the Head of Government had specifically mentioned "the violence inflicted on a Moroccan child by the Swedish police, the stabbing murder of a Moroccan in France and also the shooting deaths of three Muslim students in the United States." According to the Head of Government, "These crimes must elicit firm and collective denunciation, especially on the part of those who condemn all terrorist acts."
- Palestine – The Palestinian government condemned the killings as "terrorism", and termed Hicks "an American extremist and hateful racist", saying the incident suggested a rise in dangerous discrimination against American Muslims. In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said they considered the incident "a serious indication of the growth of racism and religious extremism which is a direct threat to the lives of hundreds of thousands of American citizens who follow the Islamic faith." The ministry called for "a serious investigation and the involvement of Palestinian investigators to clarify the circumstances of these assassinations and premeditated murders."
- Saudi Arabia – The Saudi Arabian government offered its condolences to the families of "the victims of terrorism and their relatives," stating it "has followed up with great sorrow the heinous terrorist and criminal incidents recently occurred in the Danish capital of Copenhagen and the US State of North Carolina and resulted in killing and injuring innocent people. As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reaffirms its position calling for the need for respecting religions, human beliefs, not prejudicing religious symbols and not inciting against Muslims, it simultaneously stresses its rejection of all heinous terrorist and criminal acts in all their forms and manifestations, and any source or belief that stands behind them."
- Turkey – Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said he hoped "there is no racist act behind these murders. But it is too early to say so. When it is clarified, all administrations in the EU and the U.S. will be able to show the common attitude...., is a terrorist organization, you can define it, you can limit it or react against it. But what kind of precautions are we able to take against racist moves that have ISIS mentality in the EU and U.S.?"
- Supranational
- United Nations – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was deeply moved by scenes of thousands of people mourning their deaths. "At a time of troubling tensions stoked by those who seek to twist the teachings of faith and sow division, these three young people represented the best values of global citizenship and active community compassion to build a better world for all," he added. He urged United States authorities to investigate the shooting as a possible hate crime.
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{{cite news}}
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