US President Barack Obama has made his first comments about three young Muslims who were shot dead in North Carolina, saying no one in America should ever be targeted "because of who they are, what they look like or how they worship".
Obama said in a statement on Friday that the FBI would determine whether federal laws were violated in what he calls "the brutal and outrageous murders" of the three in the university town of Chapel Hill on Tuesday.
More than 5000 people gathered on Thursday for the funeral of Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21, and her 19-year-old sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, who authorities say were killed by a neighbour.
The alleged shooter, Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, was believed to be strongly opposed to religion, as his Facebook page showed dozens of anti-religious posts, including proclamations denouncing Christianity, Mormonism and Islam.
Police say the three were killed in a long-running dispute over parking spaces but the victims' families are demanding a hate-crime investigation.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reproached Obama and other senior officials for not speaking out against the killings.
Erdogan, leader of a Muslim nation, said during a news conference in Mexico on Thursday that the US administration should take a stance against the killings, saying their silence was "meaningful".
