Suspect Arrested in Shooting of 3 Palestinian Students in Vermont, FBI Investigates Attack as Possible Hate Crime
A suspect was arrested in the shooting of three Palestinian college students in Vermont over the weekend.
A suspect was arrested in the shooting of three Palestinian college students in Vermont over the weekend as the FBI continues to investigate the attack as a possible hate crime, RadarOnline.com can report.
In a sudden development to come hours after victims Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Ahmad were shot in Burlington on Saturday night, authorities announced that Jason Eaton, 48, was arrested near the scene of the shooting.
According to CNN, Eaton lives in an apartment building close to the scene of the shooting. Authorities reportedly found evidence inside the suspect’s home that gave investigators "probable cause to believe that Mr. Eaton perpetrated the shooting."
Although officials have not detailed the charges filed against Eaton upon his arrest on Sunday afternoon, the case was reportedly described as “three incidents of aggravated assault.”
Eaton is scheduled to be arraigned in court on Monday in connection to Saturday night’s attack.
Authorities also reported that the three victims – all 20 years old – were walking along Prospect Street on Saturday night when they were confronted by a man with a handgun who "shot each of them without speaking before fleeing” the scene.
The FBI continues to investigate the attack as a possible hate crime.
Two of the students were said to be in stable condition, while the third shooting victim was reportedly left “in a more serious condition.”
Awartani, Abdalhamid, and Ahmad’s families and several civil rights groups have since urged the FBI and other authorities to investigate whether the shooting on Saturday night in Burlington was motivated by hate amid the escalating conflict between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
Abed Ayoub, a lawyer for the three victims' families, suggested that the students were targeted because two of them were wearing traditional Palestinian scarves.
“The suspect walked up to them and shot them. They weren’t robbed, they weren’t mugged,” Ayoub said shortly before Eaton’s arrest on Sunday. “It was a targeted shooting and a targeted crime.”
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One 20-year-old victim was left in critical condition after the attack.
It was also revealed that the three Palestinian students were in Burlington over the weekend to visit Awartani’s grandmother for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. They were reportedly taking a walk before dinner when they were shot.
Police quickly arrived at the scene and found the two injured victims, while the third victim was found a “short distance away.”
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All three victims were rushed to the University of Vermont Medical Center where they were still being treated as of Monday morning.
Eaton was reportedly detained by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as they were probing the area.
All three victims were rushed to the University of Vermont Medical Center where they were still being treated as of Monday morning.
“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 following Saturday night’s startling attack.
“That there is an indication this shooting could have been motivated by hate is chilling, and this possibility is being prioritized in the investigation,” Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger added.
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