The man accused of shooting and injuring three university students of Palestinian descent in the US city of Burlington, Vermont over the weekend had pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges on Monday (Nov 27).
The suspect identified as 48-year-old Jason J Eaton was arrested on Sunday, a day after the attack and appeared in court in Burlington where the judge had also ordered him to remain held without bond.
The shooting, which took place on a street near the University of Vermont, is being seen as a suspected “hate-motivated crime,” by the police.
About the condition of victims
The three friends identified in court documents as Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Aliahmad and Kinnan Abdalhamid, all aged 20 remained under medical care on Monday with gunshot wounds to the spine, chest and buttocks, respectively.
Two are in stable condition while the third sustained more serious injuries, as per officials.
The court documents also said two out of the three who were shot recounted they were wearing keffiyehs – the traditional black and white Palestinian scarf – and one of them said that they were talking in a mix of English and Arabic when the gunman confronted them.
The victims told the police that they were shot while strolling about a block from the house of Awartani’s grandmother, following an afternoon at a bowling alley, according to a police affidavit filed in support of the charges, reported Reuters.
All three live in different cities but were staying with Awartani and his relatives in Burlington for Thanksgiving. The police said that all three are of Palestinian descent with two of them being US citizens and the third a legal American resident.
All three were graduates of the Ramallah Friends School, a private Quaker school in the occupied West Bank and were now attending universities in the northeast US, their families said.
What happened in court?
Eaton appeared for his arraignment in Chittenden County Criminal Court in Burlington via a video feed from the county jail where he has been detained since his arrest.
He was charged with three counts of attempted second-degree murder which is punishable by a prison sentence of 20 years to life if convicted.
The 48-year-old was seen dressed in an orange jumpsuit at his three-minute arraignment after he was taken into custody by an agent from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) who was looking for the suspect.
The law enforcement official was greeted by the suspect, who held his hands out with palms upturned and said to the officer, “I’ve been waiting for you,” according to the police affidavit.
The police also found a handgun, ammunition matching the rounds found at the crime scene, a .22-caliber rifle and two shotguns after searching the 48-year-old’s apartment.
The Department of Justice is assisting local authorities in the investigation, said US Attorney General Merrick Garland. “No person and no community in this country should have to live in fear of lethal violence,” said Garland.
White House said President Joe Biden and first lady Jill were “horrified” by the shooting in Vermont.
(With inputs from agencies)
