US: 3 Palestinian students shot in Vermont; suspect arrested
What's the story
Three students of Palestinian descent were shot and injured near the University of Vermont, Burlington, United States, on Saturday, police revealed on Sunday (local time). They were attending a Thanksgiving gathering at one of the victim's relatives' place. Authorities suspect the shooting to be a hate crime, AP reported. An armed white man reportedly confronted and shot them. The suspect has now been arrested.
Details
Victims were wearing keffiyehs, 1 critical
Two of the victims were shot in the torso, while the third was shot below the waist. The first two are reportedly stable, but the third victim is critical. Two were wearing keffiyehs, traditional scarves that have become symbols of solidarity with Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. The police said two students are US citizens, while the third is a legal resident.
Suspect
Suspect identified, motive yet to be ascertained
The suspect arrested on Sunday afternoon (local time) was identified as Jason J Eaton (48). He reportedly lived in an apartment building near the site of the crime. Eaton is likely to be presented before the court on Monday. The US Attorney's Office in Vermont said it would determine whether a federal crime had been committed. A possible motive is yet to be ascertained.
Background
All 3 victims went to same West Bank school
The victims were identified as Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ahmed, and Kinnan Abdalhamid. All three of them, reportedly in their 20s, attended Ramallah Friends School in the occupied Palestinian territory of West Bank. Reportedly, Abdalhamid is a student at Haverford College, Awartani at Brown University, and Ahmed at Trinity College. They were shot as they were walking in the street after leaving the Thanksgiving gathering.
Toll
Rise in Islamophobic, antisemitic incidents
Per BBC, there has been a rise in Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents in the US and other countries amid the ongoing war in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, which was triggered by the Palestinian terror group Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel. While Hamas killed 1,200 people and kidnapped around 240 people, Israel has killed over 14,800 people, with 40% of them being children.
Quote
Shooting could have been motivated by hate is chilling: Mayor
Investigators are looking into whether the attack was motivated by hate, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger stated. "That there is an indication this shooting could have been motivated by hate is chilling, and this possibility is being prioritized in the investigation," he added.