3 students shot to death in apartment.

W. Mohamed Adel

Craig Stephens Hicks turned himself into authorities Tuesday night and was arrested for the shooting deaths of three Muslim students around the University of North Carolina campus in Chapel Hill.

The victims were identified as 23-year-old UNC dental student Deah Shaddy Barakat; his wife of just over one month, 21-year-old Yusor Abu-Salha, 21; and her sister, 19-year-old Razan Abu-Salha. According to police, they were pronounced dead at the scene.

The 46-year-old suspect, Craig Stephen Hicks, has been charged with murder. Hicks turned himself in to police later in the night and is being held in the Durham County Jail without bond. He is cooperating with investigators, police said Wednesday morning.

“Our investigators are exploring what could have motivated Mr. Hicks to commit such a senseless and tragic act. We understand the concerns about the possibility that this was hate-motivated, and we will exhaust every lead to determine if that is the case,” said Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue.

But given the victims’ religion — they were Muslims — and comments the alleged shooter apparently left on a Facebook page, many social media users wondered what role, if any, the victims’ faith played. The victims were Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23; Yusor Mohammad, 21; and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations called for police to “address speculation about a possible bias motive,” and the Muslim Public Affairs Council is requesting a federal investigation “if the motives of the shooter are confirmed based on his previous social media posts.”

The families have said they believe the shootings were motivated by hate, and the suspect had threatened the three before, said family spokeswoman Linda Sarsour. The nature of the previous threats was unclear.

Ripley Rand, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, said during a Wednesday news conference that there was no federal investigation underway, and the incident appeared to be isolated rather than part of an organized campaign against Muslims in the state.

The suspect’s wife held a news conference Wednesday afternoon in which she conveyed condolences to the victims’ families and said she was “shocked” by the killings.