CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The police said it was all over a parking spot. The shooter’s wife said it wasn’t about religion. But many members of this college town’s close-knit Muslim community believe the motive behind a horrific triple homicide here Tuesday was nothing less than hatred of Islam.
As authorities investigate the fatal shootings of Deah Barakat, his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, they will likely be forced to grapple with widespread suspicion of initial statements from law enforcement that blame the deaths on a dispute over a parking space.
A statement from Chapel Hill police issued Wednesday morning seemed to indicate that the murders, tragic as they were, stemmed from a mundane variety of hatred. The statement said, “Our preliminary investigation indicates that the crime was motivated by an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking.”
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Despite the skepticism of the police’s initial explanation, none of the speakers at a vigil here Wednesday night expressed a lack of confidence in the investigation. Safi said that behind the scenes, both local police and federal authorities have taken care to reach out to Muslim leaders.
Authorities have been careful to state that they have not ruled out hatred of Islam as a contributing factor. Several hours after the initial police dispatch, Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt released a statement that offered a pointed acknowledgement of the deep concerns among Muslims, and an affirmation of their role in the community.
“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,” Kleinschmidt said. “Chapel Hill is a place for everyone, a place where Muslim lives matter.”
