Dental News - Shock and sadness follow killings of students in North Carolina

Fred Michmershuizen / DTA

Thu. 12 February 2015

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NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: A dental student at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry was killed along with his wife and his wife’s sister at their off-campus housing on Tuesday, in an apparent dispute over parking. The dental student, Deah Shaddy Barakat, is being remembered as a compassionate caregiver who gave of himself to help the less fortunate.

“This is an incredible tragedy for our school, the dental community and the university,” said Jane A. Weintraub, dean of the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, in a letter posted online to students, faculty and staff on Wednesday. “Today, everyone here is grieving.”

Barakat, his wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, were fatally shot Tuesday, according to the Chapel Hill Police Department. A suspect, Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, of Chapel Hill, N.C., was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, the police department said.

Barakat was a member of the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry’s DDS class of 2017. A native of Raleigh, N.C., he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from North Carolina State University in 2013 prior to being admitted into dental school.

“Deah was involved in many aspects of the dental school, including research with the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, serving as a co-president of the new Dental Student Ambassadors group and leading the charge for a dental mission trip to Turkey,” Weintraub said. “He was well loved and respected within these walls, and we will feel his loss deeply.”

Barakat’s wife, Yusor, had recently been admitted to dental school herself, Weintraub said. She worked with North Carolina Missions of Mercy clinics prior to her admission. “We were all looking forward to getting to know her as a member of the UNC dental family beginning in April, and we grieve her loss as well,” Weintraub said.

Razan was a sophomore at North Carolina State University.

Pictures that Barakat posted to his Facebook page depict a young and vibrant man with a wonderful smile, with many friends and a passion for basketball. He also took part in various humanitarian outreach projects to help the needy. “Today we passed out dental supplies and food to over 65 homeless people in Raleigh! A big thank you to NC State MSA for sponsoring funds,” Barakat wrote as a caption to one of the many pictures he shared.

ADA: ‘Shocked and saddened’

In response to the killings, the American Dental Association released a statement Wednesday, saying it is “shocked and saddened” by the loss. Barakat was known as a generous spirit who volunteered with the Miswak Foundation, which conducts dental relief missions in underserved areas across the world, the ADA statement said.

“We mourn with Deah’s family and friends at this upsetting time,” ADA President Dr. Maxine Feinberg said. “The thoughts and prayers of the dental community go out to all who have suffered this tremendous loss.”

Police: ‘Ongoing neighbor dispute over parking’

Already, the case has drawn widespread media attention, with many speculating that it was a hate crime motivated by the victims’ Muslim heritage. But an initial statement by local officials said it was a dispute over parking.

“Our preliminary investigation indicates that the crime was motivated by an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking,” a news release on the Town of Chapel Hill website states.

“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 Chief Chris Blue of the Chapel Hill Police Department. “Our thoughts are with the families and friends of these young people who lost their lives so needlessly.”

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