3 Palestinian students shot in Vermont
A suspect accused of shooting three Palestinian students near the University of Vermont campus has appeared in court.
Jason J Eaton, 48, was arrested on Sunday afternoon in Burlington close to the scene of the attack – which is being investigated as a possible hate crime.
He is suspected of ambushing three 20-year-old college students – Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ahmad – as they walked to a family Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday night. The friends were speaking to each other in English and Arabic, according to the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee, and two of them were wearing keffiyehs at the time.
While two of the victims are in stable condition in hospital, the third is said to have suffered “much more serious injuries” and his condition remains unclear.
Mr Eaton faced arraignment in court on Monday. He pleaded not guilty to three charges.
The Burlington Police Department is also expected to give an update on the case on Monday.
Here’s what we know about the shooting
Officials have not yet released a motive for the shooting of three Palestinian men who were attacked in Burlington, Vermont on Saturday.
According to a press release distributed by the Burlington Police Department, the men, Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ahmad, all 20, were walking along Prospect Street around 6.30pm on Saturday when a man fired four shots in their direction.
They had been heading to Mr Awartani’s grandmother’s home for Thanksgiving dinner. Two of the students were wearing keffiyehs, a traditional headdress from the Middle East, at the time of the assault, a release states.
According to the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee, the men were speaking to each other in English and Arabic.
Two men were shot in the torso, while one was shot in the lower extremities, police said. Two of the men are in stable condition, while one suffered serious injuries, police said. Authorities did not provide further information regarding the students’ conditions.
Officials believe the shooter to be 48-year-old Jason Eaton.
Mr Eaton was arrested on Sunday around 3.38pm after he was located and detained by authorities. His residence is located in front of where the incident took place, officials said.
He’s currently being held at Northwest State Correctional Facility in Swanton. Officials have denied Mr Eaton bail. He’s facing three charges of second-degree attempted murder, to which he pleaded not guilty on Monday during an arraignment.
Michelle Del Rey27 November 2023 16:26
Suspect pleads not guilty during arraignment
Jason J Eaton, the man who officials believe shot the students, has pleaded not guilty to all three counts of aggravated assault, officials announced on Monday.
Investigators said that information inside Mr Eaton’s home led them to believe he was involved in the shooting. The man’s residence is located in front of where the attack took place, police said. He was arrested on Sunday.
Michelle Del Rey27 November 2023 15:56
Here’s what we know about the victims
Three men of Palestinian descent were shot in Burlington, Vermont over the weekend as they walked to a family Thanksgiving dinner.
They’ve been identified as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ahmad, all 20. Two of the students are US citizens and one is a legal resident.
The incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime. Officials have arrested a suspect, 48-year-old Jason J Eaton, in connection with the shooting.
According to a press release from the Burlington Police Department, the men remain under medical care. Two of them are stable, while one sustained serious injuries. Officials did not provide additional information about the students’ conditions.
The men are not related but had been headed to the home of Mr Awartani’s grandmother during the holiday weekend. They had been walking along Prospect Street on Saturday around 6.30pm when they were attacked by the gunman, who was on foot, the release states.
The man did not speak to the victims before he fired four shots in their direction. Two of the students were shot in the torso and one was shot in the lower extremities. The shooter fled the scene following the attack.
Mr Awartani is a student at Brown University in Rhode Island. Mr Abdalhamid attends Haverford College in Pennsylvania and Mr Ahmed is at Trinity College.
Michelle Del Rey27 November 2023 15:50
Jason J Eaton to face arraignment
Mr Eaton is expected to appear in court on Monday for his arraignment.
Police have yet to announce the specific charges he is facing following his arrest on Sunday afternoon.
The Independent will stream the arraignment live here.
Megan Sheets27 November 2023 15:30
Suspect arrested in Vermont shooting
Suspect Jason J Eaton, 48, was arrested on Sunday afternoon in connection with the shooting of three Palestinian students.
He is alleged to have ambushed the three University of Vermont students – Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ahmad – near campus in Burlington on Saturday night. The attack is being investigated as a hate crime.
The Burlington Police Department said in a press release that the suspected gunman lives in an apartment building near the scene of the shooting.
A search of his home uncovered evidence that gave law enforcement “probable cause” to believe Mr Eaton was behind the attack, police said.
It is not clear what charges the 48-year-old is facing but he is expected to appear in court for his arraignment on Monday.
The Independent’sRachel Sharp has more:
Megan Sheets27 November 2023 15:22