Vermont: Shooter of Students of Palestinian Descent Pleads Not Guilty

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Facts

  • Jason J. Eaton, the man accused of shooting and wounding three college students of Palestinian descent, Monday pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempted murder.1
  • The shooting of the three 20-year-olds – one of whom is a legal resident and two who are US citizens – took place in the street near the University of Vermont in Burlington on Saturday evening while they were visiting one of the students’ family for Thanksgiving.2
  • The victims – Kinnan Abdalhamid, who attends Haverford College in Pennsylvania, Tahseen Ahmed who attends Trinity College in Connecticut, and Hisham Awartani who attends Brown University in Rhode Island] — all remained under hospital care Monday with gunshot wounds.3
  • Awartani’s great-uncle Marwan Awartani, a former Palestinian education minister, reported Hisham “lost feeling in the lower part of his body” after one of the bullets struck his spinal cord. Brown University President Christina Paxson said Hisham is “expected to survive his injuries.”4
  • Police on Sunday arrested Eaton, who matched the victims' description, after knocking on his door. Police Chief Jon Murad said Eaton answered the door and said "I've been waiting for you” before he held his palms up, admitted to having a gun in his house, and requested a lawyer.1
  • Nikolas P. Kerest, US Attorney for the District of Vermont, said Sunday that after the evidence is assessed a determination will be made as to whether Eaton also deserves federal charges.1

Sources: 1Burlington Free Press, 2NBC, 3Reuters and 4Al Jazeera.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by France 24. Political, religious, and ethnic tensions have been on the rise since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack against Israel and the resulting bloody conflict in Gaza. An unfortunate consequence has been the rise of both foreign and domestic extremism targeting Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab communities. This horrific incident is a consequence of soaring extremism in a polarizing geopolitical environment, and all stakeholders have a responsibility to tamp down toxic rhetoric that can lead to violence.
  • Narrative B, as provided by New York Post. This is a tragic incident, and the public and media should not jump to conclusions. Eaton has a history of mental health struggles and was observed to be in a calm and positive mood before the incident. As more details emerge, the public will in due time learn about the motive and mental state of the alleged shooter and learn key context.