Three college students reportedly of Palestinian descent were shot Saturday evening in Burlington, Vermont in what police suspect is a potential hate crime, according to reports.
The three young men, Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ahmed, were reportedly walking around the University of Vermont campus when a white man allegedly opened fire at them, according to The New York Times. Two of the students are in stable condition and are expected to recover, per the outlet. Awartani was reportedly struck in his spinal cord and has lost feeling in his lower body, according to a statement his uncle gave to The New York Times. (RELATED: ‘Are They Extremists?’: Doocy Asks KJP If Pro-Palestine Protesters Are Held To Same Standard As ‘MAGA’ Republicans)
Two of the victims were wearing a Palestinian headdress, the kaffiyeh, at the time of the shooting, per the report.
They went to high school together in Ramallah. They were shot together in Vermont. “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.”https://t.co/tulLb78T7o
— Hannah Allam (@HannahAllam) November 26, 2023
The three students were reportedly walking to Awartani’s grandmother’s home for dinner, per the outlet.
“In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime,” Burlington chief of police Jon Murad said.
The police report they are still attempting to identify the shooter, and that they have “no additional information to suggest the suspect’s motive.”
The police department is working with federal authorities under the possibility that the shooter was motivated by anti-Palestinian hate, Murad said, according to The New York Times. However, he urged the public to not jump to conclusions about the shooter’s motivations.
Burlington police confirmed that two of the victims are American citizens while other is a permanent resident, per the outlet.
Protests and demonstrations have rocked the nation in the month following the attack on Israel by Hamas. Some of these demonstrations have turned violent, resulting in physical assault and injuries. Tensions have simmered on college campuses since Oct. 7 due to left-wing students holding raucous anti-Israel demonstrations. These protests have roiled universities’ relationships with their wealthy donors and have sparked accusations of antisemitism.