Suspect Arrested After 3 Palestinians Shot Near US Campus

UPDATE Nov 27, 2023 1:00 AM CST

A suspect has been arrested in the Saturday night shooting of three young men of Palestinian descent near the University of Vermont campus. Jason J. Eaton, 48, was taken into custody Sunday afternoon, CNN reports. Police say he lives in an apartment building near the site of the shooting, which happened while the victims were en route to a Thanksgiving gathering. Two of the men were wearing keffiyahs, traditional Palestinian scarves, when they were attacked, and the group was speaking Arabic, NBC News reports. All three remained hospitalized Sunday, two in stable condition. The current condition of the third man, whose injuries had been described as much more serious, was not known.

Nov 26, 2023 4:35 PM CST

Three 20-year-old men of Palestinian descent were shot Saturday night near the University of Vermont campus in what police said might have been a hate crime. All three of the wounded men were hospitalized, with two of them said Sunday to be stable. The third is more seriously hurt, Burlington police said. They were shot while on their way to a Thanksgiving dinner at the home of one of the men's relatives, NBC News reports. Two of them were wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves. "In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime," police Chief Jon Murad said in a statement.

While on foot, the college students were confronted by a white man with a handgun, police said, per the AP. "Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled," Murad said. Police are searching for the man. Two of the victims are US citizens, and the other is a legal resident. They had gone to a Quaker school together and now attend Brown University, Haverford College, and Trinity College. The police chief said he's been in contact with US agencies about investigating whether the shooting was a hate crime, which would be a federal offense.

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The Council on American-Islamic Relations established a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, and the men's families urged police to treat the attack as a hate crime. "Our children are dedicated students who deserve to be able to focus on their studies and building their futures," they said in a joint statement. White House officials said that President Biden, who this month announced a new program to combat Islamophobia, was briefed on the attack. (More shooting stories.)