Chapel Hill shooting victim remembered by relatives in Willowbrook

WILLOWBROOK, Ill. (WLS) -- A memorial service was held Friday in Willowbrook to remember the three students killed on Tuesday in Chapel Hill, N.C. They were allegedly shot by their neighbor in a long-running dispute over parking spaces.

One of the three students, dental student Deah Barakat, has ties to the Chicago area. His relatives said Friday he was the giving type.

"He loved to help. He doesn't have free time - his free time is for you, for me, for everybody else," said Omar Dweydari, victim's cousin.

"It is unreal. I have been waking up every night thinking about it, is it that true. Can it happen to us?" said Ryad Douedari, victim's cousin.

On Tuesday, Barakat, his new wife Yusor, and her 19-year-old sister Razan were killed in a North Carolina apartment. Omar Dweydari, along with thousands, attended Thursday's funeral and also saw his cousin's body.

"He shot them execution style, from the back. There is nothing on his front, the bullet came from his back and went out his side cheek," Dweydari said.

When asked if the killings were hate crimes, relatives have a unified voice.

"Absolutely. There is no doubt about it," Dweydari said.

Police have charged 46-year-old Craig Stephen Hicks, an outspoken atheist, with murder. Chapel Hill police said their preliminary investigation indicates the shooting may have stemmed from a parking dispute at the apartment complex where the three students and Hicks lived.

"I still do not believe it's an issue of parking," Douedari said.

Local and federal investigators will work on finding a motive. In the meantime, President Obama - who has been criticized for not speaking out - has released a statement, saying in part: "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. Michelle and I offer our condolences to the victims' loved ones."

His loved ones are rattled and worried about their own safety, in their own communities.

"We always felt us that we were part of this society and this incident really teared us apart," Douedari said.

The relatives and Muslim leaders also held a news conference Friday. The leaders said that these three victims were model citizens who lived their lives with peace, love and hope. They called them "beacons of inspiration" that others should follow.