Tuesday’s killing in North Carolina of Deah Barakat, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, and her sister Razan, all Muslims under 25 years of age, is now being investigated by the FBI as a hate crime.  The three students were allegedly shot by a neighbor.  Many New Englanders are responding to their deaths with prayer and discussion.  Earlier today about 500 people attended a prayer service organized by the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut. Reza Mansoor is president of the Islamic Association of Greater Hartford. He says Muslims right now are mourning the students’ deaths, and  then it will be time to let moderate, interfaith voices be heard.

“I think the majority of the community, Christian, Muslims, Jews, realize that it’s really sad that we are being dragged into conflict with each other based on what [Muslim and non Muslim] extremists are doing,” Mansoor says.

Fridays are special day of prayer for Muslims, known as Jumaa. In addition to the service in Berlin, CT, many mosques in western Massachusetts followed Friday prayers with prayers for the dead students and their families.