Suspect in shooting of 3 students had 13 guns, stash of ammo

[Lite Beer]

Suspect in shooting of 3 students had 13 guns, stash of ammo
MICHAEL BIESECKER, Associated Press
JONATHAN DREW, Associated Press

RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) — The suspect in the deaths of three Muslim university students in North Carolina had at least a dozen firearms and a large ammunition stash in his home, according to search warrants released on Friday as world leaders decried the shootings.

Warrants included an inventory of the weapons seized by police from the Chapel Hill condominium of Craig Stephen Hicks, the 46-year-old charged with three counts of first-degree murder.

The warrants list three handguns recovered from the Hicks home he shared with his wife, in addition to a pistol the suspect had with him when he turned himself in to police. The warrants also list two shotguns and seven rifles, including a military-style AR-15 carbine. Police also recovered numerous loaded magazines and cases of ammunition.

Eight spent shell-casings were found in the neighboring apartment of Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, and his wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21. Also killed was the wife's sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19.

Relatives say all were shot in the head. Authorities haven't disclosed exactly how the victims died.

"No one in the United States of America should ever be targeted because of who they are, what they look like, or how they worship," President Barack Obama said in Washington.

In New York, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was "deeply moved" by scenes of thousands at Thursday's funeral.

Police in Chapel Hill said they have yet to uncover any evidence Hicks acted out of religious animus, though they are investigating the possibility. As a potential motive, they cited a long-standing dispute about parking spaces at the condo community where he lived in the same building as the victims.

The FBI is now conducting a "parallel preliminary inquiry" to determine whether any federal laws, including hate crime laws, were violated.

Family members of the slain students are pressing for hate crime charges against the alleged shooter, but legal experts say such cases are relative rare and can be difficult to prove.

To win a hate-crime conviction, however, prosecutors would have to prove Hicks deliberately targeted those killed because of religion, race or national origin.

North Carolina does not have a specific "hate crime" statute, though it has laws covering such acts of "ethnic intimidation" as hanging a noose, burning a cross or setting fire to a church.

___

Drew reported from Durham.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-02-14

[pitrevie]

I bet Alex Jones is already telling his listeners that this has all been set up by Obama to take the guns away.

[Ulysses G.]

This guy is an atheist who hates ALL religion. His Facebook "likes" included the Huffington Post, Rachel Maddow, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Freedom from Religion Foundation, Gay Marriage groups and other similar progressive sites. He seems to hate Christianity worst of all. This man is hater and he was going to go off eventually.

[BestBitterPhuket]

Relatives say all were shot in the head. Authorities haven't disclosed exactly how the victims died.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-02-14

Perhaps they drowned or died in a car accident?

Edited February 14, 2015 by BestBitterPhuket

[Asheron]

This guy is an atheist who hates ALL religion. His Facebook "likes" included the Huffington Post, Rachel Maddow, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Freedom from Religion Foundation, Gay Marriage groups and other similar progressive sites. He seems to hate Christianity worst of all. This man is hater and he was going to go off eventually.

So you are saying a so called "liberal" is the killer? And are you saying athiests generally "hate" religion or just this guy?

Besides, what anyone "likes" on Facebook has nothing to do with their views. I "like" several Facebook groups i do not agree with only because that way i can "keep an eye" on what they write there out of curiousity.

[Ulysses G.]

I'm saying that the guy is a hateful nut-job who hates ALL religion. The other facts about him are up to the reader's interpretation.

[Publicus]

Guns, God, Grits, Gravy 'n Gays.

That could sum it up fairly well given there are other interpretations of the guy.

It's impossible to know the specifics of the factors involved in the triple murders, but the guy is a severe nutcase who spent a lot of time arguing and threatening some people who wore distinctive clothing that identified them as believers in a certain god and indeed as worshipers of their god, the victims had Muslim friends and family, and the landlord had advised them to call the police next time the nutcase came around. The next time he came around again was the last time.

The sob had a small arsenal in his house to include handguns, automatic rifles and a store of ammunition. It's reasonable to say the likelihood of his killing someone sooner or later was somewhat significant. And someone prominently connected to a god besides. Further reality based investigation is required.

Edited February 14, 2015 by Publicus

[IAMHERE]

This guy is an atheist who hates ALL religion. His Facebook "likes" included the Huffington Post, Rachel Maddow, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Freedom from Religion Foundation, Gay Marriage groups and other similar progressive sites. He seems to hate Christianity worst of all. This man is hater and he was going to go off eventually.

It would seem he really hated people taking his parking space.

[Publicus]

A crackpot with a small arsenal of guns, rifles and lots of ammunition is the same-o same-o Groundhog Day shadow that too many people are determined to avoid or to deny.

[chuckd]

Wondering when the Tea Party connection will be thrown around.

[Publicus]

The usual suspects are present given there's been another shooting murder by a crackpot armed to the teeth....

[Nuddy]

The killed people were muslims, right?

And he shot them in the head from a distance

Hmm must have been a good shot then.

[delgarcon]

The killed people were muslims, right?

And he shot them in the head from a distance

Hmm must have been a good shot then.

Well Nuddy, you worked that out well didn't you. I can't wait for the next little gem to come out of your Nuddy brain!

[tartempion]

This guy is an atheist who hates ALL religion. His Facebook "likes" included the Huffington Post, Rachel Maddow, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Freedom from Religion Foundation, Gay Marriage groups and other similar progressive sites. He seems to hate Christianity worst of all. This man is hater and he was going to go off eventually.

Sounds like myself, but then I don't own guns.

[Rod Wallop]

I thought all yanks had automatic weapons and ammo in their home?

[MZurf]

This guy is an atheist who hates ALL religion. His Facebook "likes" included the Huffington Post, Rachel Maddow, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Freedom from Religion Foundation, Gay Marriage groups and other similar progressive sites. He seems to hate Christianity worst of all. This man is hater and he was going to go off eventually.

No matter what his political leanings it's too bad he had such easy access to weapons. But I guess that's ar reasonable price to pay in order to have a well armed citizenry that can stand up to and defeat the tanks and jets of the commie-liberal muslim in the white house when he tries to grab power.

[F430murci]

That guys is a POS. Unfortunately, there are people in the world like him. He has been arrested and he will be dealt with. Wish the same could be said for the nut jobs running around in the Middle East committing horrific crimes.

[Lissos]

I bet Alex Jones is already telling his listeners that this has all been set up by Obama to take the guns away.

Along with YouTube's NutnFancy.

But to be fair to some of these guys, there does appear to be an agenda to undermine firearm ownership in the U.S

[neverdie]

This guy is an atheist who hates ALL religion. His Facebook "likes" included the Huffington Post, Rachel Maddow, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Freedom from Religion Foundation, Gay Marriage groups and other similar progressive sites. He seems to hate Christianity worst of all. This man is hater and he was going to go off eventually.

No matter what his political leanings it's too bad he had such easy access to weapons. But I guess that's ar reasonable price to pay in order to have a well armed citizenry that can stand up to and defeat the tanks and jets of the commie-liberal muslim in the white house when he tries to grab power.

Well said.

How much blood has to be spilt before the USA realises it needs more efficient gun control laws.....talk about 3rd world living conditions.

[F430murci]

This guy is an atheist who hates ALL religion. His Facebook "likes" included the Huffington Post, Rachel Maddow, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Freedom from Religion Foundation, Gay Marriage groups and other similar progressive sites. He seems to hate Christianity worst of all. This man is hater and he was going to go off eventually.

No matter what his political leanings it's too bad he had such easy access to weapons. But I guess that's ar reasonable price to pay in order to have a well armed citizenry that can stand up to and defeat the tanks and jets of the commie-liberal muslim in the white house when he tries to grab power.

Well said.

How much blood has to be spilt before the USA realises it needs more efficient gun control laws.....talk about 3rd world living conditions.

Not third world living conditions at all. Guns typically do not cause problems in middle class to wealthy neighborhoods. It is the struggling or low life thieving POSs like this guy living in apartment complexes or trailer parks that typically create a war zone environment. I live in Nashville part of the year which has a somewhat higher crime rate, but the crime problems are very isolated to certain communities. We have some of the more wealthy neighborhoods and one of the wealthy counties in the country (full of musicians, movie stars and etc.) where there is absolutely no crime whatsoever. I leave my doors unlocked at night and feel absolutely safe. Have done so for years wherever I have lived.

I suppose the gun problem would be more at the fore front if it was not so isolated to gang ridden small urban areas. The only time its gets much attention is when the occasional nut bag goes off the reservation and shoots up a school or a public place or executes some family members due to a domestic issue.

Yes, there are a lot of school shooting because there are a lot of low life gang banger thugs shooting each other. Incidents like Sandy Hook and Columbine where nut bags target and kill as many random people as possible are pretty rare, although one is too many.

I am completely for better back ground checks and closing gun show loop holes. I am for requiring that guns have trigger locks or be locked in a safe place when stored inside a home to prevent children from being killed or maimed by accidental discharges.

I don't buy this third world non-sense. I been to a lot of third world countries and dangerous places. Where I live and spend 99.9% of my time on a daily basis is nothing like a third world country.

[Publicus]

Indeed, very good post thx.

Every place I've resided or worked in the US I'd never felt threatened or in danger. With rare exception, the gun problems as is noted in the post are confined to certain areas of certain cities predicated on relatively low socio-economic factors.

I own a handgun in the US and it came very much in handy one time but that occurred while I was on the road, staying in a place unknown to me. And it was I who had the gun, they did not, so they quickly moved away and on which was wise indeed.

Edited February 14, 2015 by Publicus

[Publicus]

I thought all yanks had automatic weapons and ammo in their home?

Data are more elusive than they should be but it is fairly reliable to say a definable minority of Americans have a gun or know someone in their home who owns a gun.

A minority of Americans own guns, but just how many is unclear

There are by various estimates anywhere from 270 million to 310 million guns in the United States — close to one firearm for every man, woman and child. But in point of fact, only a minority of Americans own guns.

A Pew Research Center survey conducted in February found that 37% of households had an adult who owned a gun — 24% said they owned a gun, and 13% said someone else in their household did.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/06/04/a-minority-of-americans-own-guns-but-just-how-many-is-unclear/

Edited February 14, 2015 by Publicus