Three Muslim students shot dead by 'radical atheist' near North Carolina university

A 46-year-old gunman shot dead three Muslim students near the University of North Carolina on Tuesday. Craig Stephen Hicks turned himself in to police and was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, Chapel Hill Police Department said in a statement on Wednesday.

On a Facebook page appearing to belong to Hicks, he had posted frequent messages critical of various religions. Muslim activists on Wednesday called on US authorities investigate the suspect for possible hate crimes.

Police identified the victims in the Tuesday evening shooting as dental student Deah Shaddy Barakat, his wife Yusor Mohammad and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha.

"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," the executive director of the Council for American-Islamic Relations, Nihad Awad, told the 'Reuters' news agency.

Police have offered no motive for the killings. Hicks was being held at the Durham County Jail, police said.

The University of North Carolina said in a statement that police responded to a report of gunshots at 5:11 p.m. local time and found the three victims, who were all pronounced dead at the scene.