BURLINGTON, VT – A Vermont man is suspected of shooting three Palestinian-American college students. However, he has recently been arrested for his connection to the crime. The accused, Jason J. Eaton, 48, was detained on Sunday, with a request for an arraignment scheduled for the following morning.
The students involved in the shooting incident were spending Thanksgiving together at one of the victim’s relative’s residences. . The trio, all in their 20s, comprised two U.S. citizens and a legal resident, who were later identified as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Ahmed. The unidentified assailant allegedly opened fire on the group without saying a word to them, according to an official statement that the Burlington Police Department issued on Sunday.
Acting swiftly, the law enforcement authorities, including local police, county officials, and federal agents, initiated a neighborhood-wide canvassing on Sunday. The FBI was called in to analyze computer and cell phone data. Additionally, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were also involved in the operation.
Authorities located Eaton near the crime scene and apprehended him. Following his capture, a search warrant was issued permitting officials to scour Eaton’s residence for evidence. Subsequent findings and further probe into the case provided investigators with sufficient evidence to believe that Eaton was responsible for the shootings.
On the night of the shooting, local residents Machara Renz and Alexander Wehr reported hearing a series of gunshots near their residence before witnessing two bodies on the ground. With tensions high nationally due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the community is rallying together in the face of this act of violence in the hope of seeking justice for the victims.