Vermont Man Faces Attempted Murder Charges for Shooting Palestinian Students

– Jason J. Eaton, 48, has been arraigned and pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder. He is accused of shooting and injuring three college students of Palestinian descent in Burlington, Vermont. The shooting is being treated as a suspected hate crime.
– The victims, identified as Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Aliahmad and Kinnan Abdalhamid, all aged 20, suffered gunshot wounds to the spine, chest, and buttocks, respectively. They were wearing black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves and speaking in a mix of English and Arabic when the attack occurred.
– Eaton was apprehended after an intense manhunt involving local, state, and federal law enforcement. A search of his apartment uncovered a handgun, ammunition, a .22-caliber rifle, and two shotguns. Eaton has been charged with three counts of attempted second-degree murder, a felony that carries a potential life sentence if convicted.

Man Accused of Attempted Murder on College Students Pleads Not Guilty

Jason J. Eaton, 48, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges related to the shooting of three Palestinian-descendant college students in Burlington, Vermont. Charged with three counts of attempted second-degree murder, he was arraigned via video feed from county jail in Chittenden County Criminal Court.

Incident Deemed as Possible Hate Crime

The Vermont police are treating the incident as a possible hate-motivated crime. Two of the victims, who were wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves, stated they were conversing in English and Arabic when the gunman confronted them. The victims, aged 20, remain under medical care after suffering gunshot wounds.

Scenes Leading to Eaton’s Arrest

The shooting triggered an intense manhunt by local, state, and federal law enforcement, including the FBI and the ATF. Eaton was apprehended when an ATF agent knocked on his door during a neighborhood canvas. A subsequent search uncovered a handgun, ammunition, a .22-caliber rifle, and two shotguns in his apartment.

Victims and Circumstances

The victims, identified as Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Aliahmad, and Kinnan Abdalhamid, were undergraduate students visiting Awartani’s relatives in Burlington for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Ramallah Friends School alumni, two US citizens and one legal resident, were shot while strolling near the University of Vermont.

Outpour of Reactions

US Attorney General Merrick Garland cited federal assistance in the investigation, stating that no community should live in fear of lethal violence. President Joe Biden, as conveyed by White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre, was horrified by the shooting, asserting no place for violence or hate in America.

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