Reports have emerged that law enforcement authorities have successfully apprehended a suspect believed to be involved in a tragic shooting incident that occurred in Burlington, Vermont. The incident involved three Palestinian students who were studying in a local college.
The suspect, identified as Jason J. Eaton, is a 48-year-old male. He was taken into custody on the afternoon of Sunday, November 26. The arrest operation was conducted by the Burlington Police Department.
As per the information provided by the local law enforcement, the suspect in the shooting, Jason, resides in a residential complex situated in close proximity to the location of the incident.
The arrest of Jason was reportedly made at the very site of the shooting, a detail that was shared by the Daily Mail.
The individuals who tragically lost their lives in the shooting incident have been identified by authorities as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid, and Tahseen Ahmed. All three victims were young men, just 20 years of age, in the prime of their lives.
UPDATE | A suspect has been identified and arrested after three Palestinian students attending college in the U.S. were wounded Saturday night by a silent gunman in Burlington, Vermont, in what an advocacy group claims was a hate crime. https://t.co/MkgNCXvXgU
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) November 27, 2023
In the wake of this tragic event, various civil rights organizations, along with the grieving families of the victims, are calling on the authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident. They are urging for a comprehensive examination into the possibility that the attacker may have been motivated by bias or prejudice.
Earlier reports indicated that the victims of the shooting were receiving medical attention following the incident. The Burlington Police Department has provided further details about the circumstances surrounding the attack.
The students, who were visiting a relative for the Thanksgiving holiday, were reportedly walking along Prospect Street when the incident occurred. According to the police statement, they were confronted by an armed white male. The man, who was carrying a handgun, did not utter a word before he began firing. He discharged at least four rounds from his weapon.
Following the shooting, the assailant is believed to have made his escape on foot, leaving the scene of the crime swiftly and abruptly. Among the victims, two were US citizens, while the third was a legal resident.
According to the police department, two of the students involved in the incident were identified as wearing keffiyehs, which are traditional Palestinian scarves. This detail adds a cultural context to the victims’ identities, highlighting their Palestinian heritage.
The injuries sustained by the students were severe, two of them were shot in the torso. The third student was shot in what the police referred to as the “lower extremities.”
Following the shooting, all three victims were immediately transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center.
The authorities have stated that at this point in time, they do not have any additional information that could shed light on the suspect’s motive.
In their pursuit of justice, the police have collected ballistic evidence from the scene of the shooting. The police plan to submit this evidence to a federal database, a standard procedure in such investigations.
On Sunday, November 26, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that it was “prepared to investigate” the incident.
The victims families urged law enforcement to investigate the attack as a hate crime, and stated that,
“We will not be comfortable until the shooter is brought to justice.”
“No family should ever have to endure this pain and agony. Our children are dedicated students who deserve to be able to focus on their studies and building their futures.”
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