A 48-year-old man has been arrested and is pleading not guilty to attempted murder over the shooting of three Palestinian men in Vermont.
Jason J. Eaton was arrested after he opened fire on three men near the University of Vermont on Saturday. The men were Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ahmed, and Kinnan Abdalhamid, and all 20 years old.
According to the BBC, the men were speaking Arabic, and two of the men were wearing keffiyeh, a traditional scarf, when they were shot.
The three men were visiting the home of one of their relatives for Thanksgiving.
Eaton allegedly fired at least four rounds at them without speaking to them. Two were shot in the torso, while the third was hit in his lower body. Two are in stable condition, while the third sustained more serious injuries, according to reports.
“In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime," Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said in a statement after the shooting. "And I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if it’s proven. But now that the victims are safe and receiving medical care, our next priority is identifying, locating, and apprehending the suspect. We’re working every investigatory angle on this case and will continue to provide reliable, factual information to the public while protecting the victims and our investigation."
Awartani is a student at Brown University in Rhode Island, while Abdalhamid is a student at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, and Ahmed is a student at Trinity College in Connecticut.
"As parents, we are devastated by the horrific news that our children were targeted and shot in Burlington, VT," the victims' families said in a joint statement. "At this time, our primary concern is their full recovery and that they receive the critical medical support they need to survive. We are extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of our children.
"We will not be comfortable until the shooter is brought to justice. We need to ensure that our children are protected, and this heinous crime is not repeated," the victims' families said. "No family should ever have to endure this pain and agony. Our children are dedicated students who deserve to be able to focus on their studies and build their futures."
Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Douglas Sacha
Video Courtesy: Reuters via YouTube
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
