Three students were shot and killed on February 10 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, after what police described as “an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking.” The incident quickly sparked a national debate on whether this act of violence was one of hate toward the victims’ religion or just a random act of violence.
Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, attended the University of North Carolina (UNC)-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. His wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21, expected to study at UNC in the fall, and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, attended North Carolina State University. All the victims were Muslim.
A neighbor of the victims, Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder after turning himself in to police.
Twitter exploded the morning after the shooting with the hashtags #MuslimLivesMatter and #ChapelHillShooting, and with tweets that expressed sadness for the victims and opened a dialogue about the average citizen’s intolerance toward Muslims in the U.S.
Those close to the victims explained that all three constantly gave back to their communities. Barakat’s last post on Facebook on January 29 was a photo of people delivering free dental supplies and food to people experiencing homelessness in downtown Durham, North Carolina.
“These were students who wanted nothing more than to change the world, who basically thought the most important thing in life was helping people who were less fortunate than they were,” said UNC Chancellor Carol Folt, according to the Raleigh News Observer.
The selfless nature of the victims has inspired many people across the nation to give back to their communities in the victims’ memory.
A National Canned Food Drive, called Feed Their Legacy, has been organized to honor their memory and continue the work of Barakat and the Abu-Salha sisters. People can donate canned food items to help feed the hungry. Learn about how to get involved at www.feedtheirlegacy.com.
“They lived to serve others, so let us serve them,” was a post on the Feed Their Legacy Facebook page.
