UNC remembers the lives of three Muslim American students who were murdered in 2015

The University and surrounding community experienced a tragedy on Feb. 10, 2015 when three Muslim American students were shot and killed in their Chapel Hill home. Five years later, groups across campus continue to honor the legacies of those lost. 

Deah Shaddy Barakat, a UNC dental student, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, an incoming UNC dental student and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, an N.C. State undergraduate student, were shot by Craig Hicks in Barakat's and Yusor's home over an alleged parking dispute. 

Hicks was convicted of the murders and sentenced to three consecutive life sentences, and Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue acknowledged the murders as a hate crime in 2019. 

To commemorate the lives of the students, the UNC School of Dentistry closes the school for one day in September or October each year to encourage students to engage in service initiatives around the community. The event is referred to as DEAH DAY, which stands for Directing Efforts And Honoring Deah And Yusor. 

“Deah was incredibly active in the community," said Tiffany Brannan, the School of Dentistry’s chief communications and marketing officer. "They were out there feeding the homeless. They were out there taking care of the whole person, not just the mouth."

The School of Dentistry also erected a memorial to Barakat and Yusor on the first floor of the school. The memorial features two lab coats stitched with their names, awards dedicated to their lives and a plaque to honor their memory.

The school also created the Deah Barakat and Yusor Abu-Salha Memorial Award in conjunction with the Dental Foundation of North Carolina to award dental students who plan a service project benefiting the community.

“We want to remember them for who they were and how they lived, and not just how they died,” Brannan said.

Habib Khadri, vice president of the UNC Muslim Students Association, knew Barakat personally and said he remembers him most for his kindness.

The UNC MSA honors the lives of the three students lost through various service initiatives and support of The Light House Project, a community center for Muslim youth in the Triangle.

The UNC MSA also holds an annual prayer for the three victims and their families, called Qiyaam, which Khadri said is done at night to encourage deeper reflection during times of hardship or to remember tragedies. When prayed as a group, he said Qur'an is recited, and members of the congregation can pray individually as well. 

The group also hosts Sports Fest to benefit a charity each year. Khadri said that Barakat's basketball jersey number is retired. 

“We just find little excuses to remember him as much as possible,” said Khadri. 

Khadri said he believes the University's efforts to memorialize the three victims has been adequate, but that commemorating the victims is a personal experience as well. 

“I think what happened was a lot more personal and that people would rather remember them in their own personal lives rather than a school-wide event,” he said.

UNC MSA Publicity Chair Rawan Abbasi said she wished the University had shown more awareness for the five-year anniversary. 

“If we continue to honor their lives, then there will be some good that could come out of a senseless, violent tragedy,” Abbasi said. 

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