Man held after three shot to death in the US

Three people have been shot to death in the US at a condominium complex east of the University of North Carolina campus and a man has been arrested.

Chapel Hill police have said Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, was arrested and has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder. He is being held at the Durham County Jail.

Police were responding to a report of gunshots around 5.15pm on Tuesday when they found three people who were pronounced dead at the scene.

The dead were identified as Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, of Chapel Hill; Yusor Mohammad, 21, of Chapel Hill; and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, of Raleigh.

The investigation is ongoing.