Arrest made in shooting of 3 men of Palestinian descent in Burlington: What to know

Burlington police have arrested a 48-year-old man for shooting three 20-year-olds on North Prospect Street Saturday.

Burlington resident Jason J. Eaton is the suspect of shooting the three men of Palestinian descent at about 6:25 on Saturday, according to police. The three victims are college students who were visiting the home of one victim’s relatives in Burlington for the Thanksgiving holiday, according to police.

Eaton is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, Nov. 27.

Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies worked together on the investigation. In a statement released late Sunday night Nikolas P. Kerest, United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, said the United States Attorney’s Office and the Civil Rights Division will assess the evidence generated to determine whether a federal crime may have been committed.

What occurred in court:Man charged in Chittenden County court with shooting 3 visiting college students

“My deepest condolences go out to the victims and their families,” Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said in a statement Sunday. “In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime. And I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if it’s proven."

How did police identify Jason J. Eaton

Burlington police Lieutenant Michael Beliveau led the investigation and local detectives were assisted by a contingent of personnel from long-term partners in the ATF, with whom the BPD regularly works through the Chittenden County Gun Violence Task Force (CCGVTF), according to a statement by police. The FBI also assisted including agents from victim services and computer and cellphone analysis.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents who were working with the Burlington police and conducting a canvass of the location of the shooting on 3:38 p.m. Sunday encountered and detained Eaton.

Detectives worked with the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, and with the Chittenden County State’s Attorney, Sarah George, to complete a search warrant for Eaton’s apartment. Eaton lived in the building in front of where the shooting took place.

A judge granted the search warrant and officers executed it at 9:53 p.m.

According to police, evidence collected during the execution of a search warrant, and additional evidence developed during the course of this investigation, gave investigators and prosecutors probable cause to suspect Eaton.

What police say happened on North Prospect Street

While walking on Prospect Street Saturday, the three men were "confronted by a white male with a handgun," police said.

"The suspect was on foot in the area. Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled on foot," police said.

In a statement issued Saturday evening, police said they received calls "that a person or persons had been shot in the vicinity of North Prospect Street in Burlington. Officers arrived to find two injured people at the location and a third injured person at a second location a short distance away."

Two of the victims were wearing keffiyehs, traditional Palestinian scarves, at the time of the assault, according to police. The victims were transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center.

"The three young male victims, each of whom is 20 years old, remain under medical care," police said in a statement released Sunday afternoon. "Two are stable, while one has sustained much more serious injuries."

Two of the men were struck in the torso, while the third was struck "in the lower extremities," police said.

In a statement Sunday, the University of Vermont said "we have no indication" that the shootings are connected to the university but noted that the investigation is still ongoing.

Who were the victims?

In statements from the victims' families, released by the Institute for Middle East Understanding, and the Ramallah Friends School, they identified the victims as Hisham Awartani, a student at Brown University in Rhode Island; Kinnan Abdalhamid, a student at Haverford College in Pennsylvania; and Tahseen Ahmad, a student at Trinity College in Connecticut.

According to the Ramallah Friends School, a Quaker-run private school in the city of Ramallah in the West Bank, all three of the victims had attended and graduated from the school.

"We are extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of our children," the families said in their joint statement. "We call on law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation, including treating this as a hate crime. We will not be comfortable until the shooter is brought to justice."

Two of the victims were U.S. citizens and the third is a legal resident, according to police.

Officials at Brown University, Haverford College, and Trinity College each confirmed in separate statements Sunday that the victims are students at their institutions. College officials also condemned the act of violence and asked communities to support each other.

Haverford College President Wendy Raymond and Dean of College John McKnight said Abdalhamid, Awartani and Ahmad were "lifelong friends." According to The Brown Daily Herald, the student newspaper of Brown University, school president Christina Paxson said the campus is organizing a vigil Monday to bring the community together.

Organizations call for hate crime investigation

In a statement released on Sunday, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) said after reviewing initial reports it had "reason to believe this shooting occurred because the victims are Arab." The organization called on the FBI, Justice Department, and local authorities in Vermont to investigate the shooting as a hate crime.

"Given the information collected and provided, it is clear that the hate was a motivating factor in this shooting, and we call on law enforcement to investigate it as such," ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub said. "The surge in anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment we are experiencing is unprecedented, and this is another example of that hate turning violent.”

On Sunday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) offered a $10,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter. “Due to the unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate and violence we have witnessed in recent weeks, local, state and national law enforcement authorities must investigate a possible bias motive for the shooting of these three young men,” CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement.

Reports of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim bias in the U.S. rose dramatically after Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel's ensuing bombardment of the Gaza Strip that killed 1,200 Israelis and more than 13,000 Palestinians respectively. CAIR received 1,283 requests for help and reports of anti-Muslim bias between Nov. 4 and the beginning of the war, a 216% increase over the previous year, according to a Nov. 9 press release.

Weinberger, Sanders, Welch and more react to potential hate crime

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger called the violence "unacceptable."

“That there is an indication this shooting could have been motivated by hate is chilling, and this possibility is being prioritized in the BPD’s investigation," Weinberger said in a statement. "The City of Burlington has zero tolerance for hate crimes and will work relentlessly to bring the shooter to justice.”

Members of Vermont's congressional delegation also weighed in.

"It is shocking and deeply upsetting that three young Palestinians were shot here in Burlington, VT. Hate has no place here, or anywhere. I look forward to a full investigation. My thoughts are with them and their families," Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Senator Peter Welch's statement read in part: “The senseless shooting of three Palestinian-American students in Burlington last night is heartbreaking. Margaret and I send our thoughts to these young men and their families during this difficult time, and hope that each student makes a full recovery from this heinous act of violence.

“We condemn hate and Islamophobia—this is not reflective of our Vermont values and our belief in community. The past seven weeks of conflict in the Middle East have brought an alarming spike in Islamophobic incidents across the United States, and underscores the necessity of supporting our Muslim community. This cycle of fear, intimidation, and violence must end. It is unacceptable."

Congresswoman Becca Balint also released a statement on Sunday. It reads in part:

"I'm horrified by this violence and my heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones. I'm hoping for a swift recovery. I will continue to monitor this troubling situation closely as details, motive, and the identity of the shooter are still unknown," she wrote before the arrest was announced. "And I expect there to be a full investigation into any evidence of a hate crime."

Gov. Phil Scott called the shooting a tragedy and offered his hopes for a full recovery for each of the victims.

“I urge Vermonters to unite to help the community heal, and not let this incident incite more hate or divisiveness," Scott said in a statement. "We must come together in these difficult times – it is the only way to put a stop to the violence we’re seeing.”

The White House said President Joe Biden was briefed on the attack and will continue to receive updates as law enforcement gathers more information.

Thao Nguyen and Sarah Al-Arshani of USA Today contributed to this article.