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In a disturbing incident that unfolded in Burlington, Vermont, over the weekend, 48-year-old Jason J. Eaton pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges on Monday after allegedly shooting three college students of Palestinian descent. The victims, identified as Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Aliahmad, and Kinnan Abdalhamid, all 20 years old, sustained gunshot wounds to the spine, chest, and buttocks.
The Alleged Hate Crime
Police are treating the Saturday evening shooting near the University of Vermont as a suspected hate-motivated crime. Charging documents reveal that two of the victims were wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves, and one mentioned they were conversing in a mix of English and Arabic when the gunman, Eaton, confronted them. The three friends, all undergraduates studying in other cities, stayed in Burlington for Thanksgiving.
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The Terrifying Encounter
According to police reports, Eaton approached the victims outside his apartment, drew his pistol, and opened fire without uttering a word. After firing four shots, he disappeared from the scene, prompting an intense manhunt involving local, state, and federal law enforcement, including the FBI and ATF.
Arrest and Discovery
Eaton was taken into custody the following day after an ATF agent knocked on his door during a neighborhood canvass. Astonishingly, the suspect greeted the officer, saying, “I’ve been waiting for you.” A subsequent search of Eaton’s apartment uncovered a handgun, ammunition matching the crime scene rounds, a .22-caliber rifle, and two shotguns.
Legal Proceedings
During his three-minute arraignment, Eaton, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, responded affirmatively when asked if he understood the charges against him. He faces three counts of attempted second-degree murder, a felony carrying a potential prison sentence of 20 years to life if convicted.
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Potential Hate Crime
While investigators have not yet found evidence to support a hate crime enhancement, Sarah Fair George, Chittenden County’s state’s attorney, emphasized, “There is no question that this was a hateful act.” The incident occurred against the backdrop of a surge in anti-Islamic, anti-Arab, and antisemitic incidents in the United States.
National Response and Investigation
The U.S. Department of Justice is assisting local authorities in the investigation, as U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed. President Joe Biden expressed horror at the shooting, with the White House emphasizing that there is “absolutely no place for violence or hate in America.”
Victims’ Background
The victims, Awartani, Abdalhamid, and Aliahmad, are students at Brown University, Haverford College, and Trinity College, respectively. All three are of Palestinian descent, with two being U.S. citizens and the third a legal U.S. resident. They are graduates of the Ramallah Friends School in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
As this tragic incident unfolds, authorities and the community at large grapple with the aftermath of what appears to be an alarming and potentially hate-fueled act of violence.
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