The Shooting Deaths of Three Muslim Students Sparks Global Outrage as Unanswered Questions Hover

The execution style killings of three Muslim students has sparked a global outrage as the pieces to this tragic story come together and build a picture of what misguided hatred can produce.

Police arrived at the home of 23-year-old Deah Shaddy Barakat, his wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21 and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, in response to reports of gunshots being heard in the housing complex nestled in Summerwalk Circle in Chapel Hill – that comprises of mostly students and young professionals.

The shots rang out around 5.11pm and by the time cops arrived on the scene all three victims were dead from gun shot wounds to the head.

Police have a suspect in custody – 46-year-old Craig Stephen Hicks turned himself in and if the charges stick, he will face three counts of first-degree murder.

Most have attributed the senseless killings to the fact that the three victims were Muslim but a preliminary investigation states that it could have been over a dispute about parking that got out of hand. But judging from widespread sentiment, it is obvious that this is being regarded as a hate crime especially since the man in custody has a Facebook page splattered with evidence of his gross intolerance when it comes to religion. And according to testimony from the father of the murdered sisters, Hicks was also a neighborhood menace who walked around with a gun attached to his waistband, spewing hateful energy and making the young women nervous enough to voice their concerns.

Barakat was already a second-year student at the University studying dentistry while his wife was poised to begin her studies later this year. Her sister was already enrolled at North Carolina University.

All three were raised to apply the elements of their faith in meaningful ways and touched the people in their lives with their generous spirits. And now that light has dimmed and unanswered questions illuminate, and disturbingly resonate with the current climate of racial discord that is breeding a trend of bigotry inspired crimes.

Once news of the incident hit the web, in true fashion the hashtag #ChapelHillShooting populated every timeline, as users expressing anger at the fact that media outlets in the Western world purposefully delayed covering the tragedy – dispensed anger ridden tweets.

The ongoing investigation should reveal more about what motivated Hicks to commit such a hideous act against three seemingly respectable and hardworking young adults who wanted nothing more than to be productive, law-abiding citizens. In the meantime – the pain of their unfathomable demise continues to haunt the ones they left behind.