BURLINGTON – The families of three Palestinian students shot in Vermont on Saturday are urging the police to investigate the attack as a hate crime.
The victims, Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ahmed, and Kinnan Abdalhamid, were confronted and shot near the University of Vermont Campus in Burlington.
The police are investigating a possible motive, as the victims were wearing keffiyeh, a traditional scarf, and speaking Arabic when attacked.
All three victims attended the Ramallah Friends School in Ramallah. One victim, Kinnan Abdalhamid, was named by Haverford College, while the other two, Awartani and Ahmed, attend Brown University and Trinity College in Connecticut, respectively.
A suspect, Jason J. Eaton, has been arrested in connection with the shooting. The victims told family members that they were speaking a mix of English and Arabic before the man shot at them without saying anything.
Two of the victims are in stable condition, while the third sustained more serious injuries.
Police Chief Jon Murad stated that, “In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime.”
