BURLINGTON, Vt. (NewsNation) — Police arrested a man Sunday night in connection to the shooting of three Palestinian college students in Burlington over the weekend.
The suspect, 48-year-old Jason Eaton, was taken into custody less than 24 hours later near the shooting scene and was arraigned in court Monday. Eaton pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail at Northwest State Correctional Facility (NWSCF).
President Joe Biden released a statement expressing his condolences to the families and noting his administration would provide any additional resources needed for the investigation.
“While we are waiting for more facts, we know this: there is absolutely no place for violence or hate in America. No person should worry about being shot at while going about their daily lives,” Biden said. “And far too many Americans know a family member injured or killed as a result of gun violence. We cannot and we will not accept that.”
Burlington Chief of Police Jon Murad said upon arrival at Eaton’s home, he greeted officers with his hands up, asking for a lawyer.
Investigators said that a search of Eaton’s home gave prosecutors “probable cause” to believe Eaton “perpetrated the shooting.” There, investigators found Eaton had recently purchased a .380 pistol, which was recovered during the search. The firearm has since been connected to the scene of the shooting, Murad said.
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger said the charges against Eaton carry the potential for life sentences.
However, a motive is still to be determined, Murad said.
The three 20-year-old victims — Hisham Awartani, a student at Brown University; Kinnan Abdalhamid, a student at Haverford College; and Tahseen Ahmed, a student at Trinity College — were walking in Burlington Saturday when a white man walked up to them and opened fire without speaking. The suspect then fled the scene, police say.
At the time of the attack, two of the victims were wearing keffiyehs, a symbol of Palestinian identity and resistance, and speaking in Arabic.
Two of the three victims are in stable condition, but the third victim suffered serious injuries. All three of them are Palestinian college students who were visiting one of their homes for Thanksgiving break.
Rich Price, Awartani’s uncle, spoke at the press conference Monday, saying the three young men were incredible. He said they had just come back from an 8-year-old’s birthday party when the shooting occurred.
“Even though this is devastating, I am really proud and grateful to the community that is here and has rallied around these boys,” he said.
Burlington police have not yet labeled the shooting a hate crime. Still, they are looking into the possibility as they investigate, saying, “In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime.”
The FBI is helping local authorities with the case as the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) urged federal investigators to look into the shooting as a hate crime.
The White House said the president was briefed on the attack.
Family members of the victims released a joint statement, saying they are “devastated by the horrific news that our children were targeted and shot,” adding, “No family should ever have to endure this pain and agony.”
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders offered his condolences to the families of the victims, calling the attack shocking and deeply upsetting.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed the arrest of the suspect, calling for law enforcement to file state and federal hate crime charges against Eaton.
“We also call on elected officials to reject and condemn the rise in anti-Muslim bigotry and anti-Palestinian racism that has led to hate crimes, discrimination and censorship targeting everyone from students to workers to protesters who dare to speak up for Palestinian human rights,” CAIR said in a statement Monday.
Brown University, where one of the victims attends, will hold a vigil Monday.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Monday that the Justice Department is remaining vigilant in the face of potential threats of hate-fueled violence and terrorism. Garland said there has been a sharp increase in the volume and frequency of threats to Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities in the U.S.
“There is understandable fear in communities across the country,” Garland said. “The ATF and the FBI are investigating the tragic shooting of three men of Palestinian descent in Vermont. That investigation, including whether this is a hate crime, is ongoing.”
Advocacy organizations have reported an increase in Islamaphobia since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants attacked Israel and killed more than 1,200 people. Israel declared war quickly after the attacks, laying siege to Gaza and relentlessly pounding the area with airstrikes. More than 11,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
CAIR said from Oct. 7 to Nov. 4, it received a total of 1,283 requests for help and reports of bias — a 216% increase over last year. On Oct. 15, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy was stabbed to death by an Illinois man. Police say the boy was targeted because of his Muslim faith.
There has also been a rise in antisemitic incidents as well: In New York City alone, the police said there was a 214% increase in hate crimes against Jewish people in October 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.
