Family, friends and supporters gathered Thursday for services for three young adults shot in North Carolina in what police call a parking dispute.

Police on Thursday were trying to determine whether religious hatred played any role in the killing of three Muslims in North Carolina, a crime they said was sparked by a neighbour's long-simmering anger over parking and noise inside their condominium complex.

Frustration over the shooting deaths of three young Muslim students in North Carolina spread across social media Wednesday with the hashtag #muslimlivesmatter appearing in posts around the world.