Vermont man arrested, charged with shooting three students in Burlington

A suspect was arrested in Burlington, Vermont after he allegedly shot three students of Palestinian descent in an attack that the mayor has said is being investigated as a potential hate crime.

48-year-old Jason J. Eaton is set to be arraigned on Monday after the three students, all of whom are in their 20s, were shot and injured on Saturday, reports The New York Times.

Police said they were shot at while strolling near the University of Vermont, and that two of the men were sporting Palestinian kaffiyehs, a traditional headdress. 

Burlington Chief of Police Jon Murad said on Sunday, “In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime.” He additionally noted that he had “already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if it’s proven.”

While the Burlington police did not uncover the names of the victims, they said that two are American citizens while the third is a legal US resident. the families identified the men as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ahmed.

According to police, the three men were walking down the street on Saturday before they came upon another man on foot who "Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled on foot."

Gov. Phil Scott (R) put out a statement at the time of the incident that said: “The shooting of three students of Palestinian descent in Burlington last night is a tragedy, and I hope each of them make a full recovery from their injuries.”

“I have offered the State’s full support to the Mayor and Burlington Police Chief as this senseless crime is investigated and in support of the Palestinian and broader Burlington community,” he said in another part of the statement. “ Our federal partners also stand ready to assist.”

The families of the young men put out a statement on social media in which they urged law enforcement to “conduct a thorough investigation, including treating this as a hate crime.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has offered a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.