Palestinian Irish American student "seriously injured" in Vermont shooting

Hisham Awartani, a Palestinian Irish American who is a student at Brown University in Rhode Island, was shot in Burlington, Vermont on Saturday night, November 25, along with Kenan Abdelhamid and Tahseen Ahmed.

Christina H. Paxson, the President of Brown University, said in a statement that Awartani’s family had given “permission to share the circumstances that Hisham is Palestinian Irish American, and that he and his two friends may have been targeted because of their Arab ancestry and identity.”

RTÉ reports that Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs said it has not been contacted in relation to the incident, but that the Consulate-General of Ireland in Boston is aware of the case and is ready to provide consular assistance if requested.

Awartani is a junior at Brown, Abdelhamid studies at Haverford College, and Ahmed is a student at Trinity College. The three students all graduated from Ramallah Friends School in Palestine. The school said on social media on Sunday that it is “deeply distressed” by the incident.

On Monday, the school further said: "It is also imperative to address the broader context in Palestine and the deeply pressing issue at the heart of this incident – the dehumanization of Palestinians."

The Burlington Police Department in Vermont said on Sunday that the three victims were visiting the home of one victim’s relatives in Burlington for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The three were walking on Prospect Street when they 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.

All three victims were struck, two in their torsos and one in the lower extremities. Police said on Sunday that two of the victims were stable, while one sustained "much more serious injuries."

Burlington Police added: “All three victims are of Palestinian descent. Two are US citizens and one is a legal resident. 

“Two were wearing keffiyehs at the time of the assault. At this time, there is no additional information to suggest the suspect’s motive, such as statements or remarks by the suspect.”

Burlington Police later said that on Sunday afternoon, Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arrested near the scene of the shooting. Eaton was arraigned on Monday where he pleaded not guilty.

During a press briefing on Monday, Miro Weinberger, the Mayor of Burlington, said that Awartani is "the most seriously injured of the three men."

Chief Murad also said during the briefing: "I want to acknowledge that three young men have been the victims of an unprovoked and terrible crime and that their lives have been changed forever.

"One in particular faces a tremendous struggle and a recovery with injuries that may be lifelong."

Rich Price, Awartani's uncle, also spoke during Monday's briefing where he said that the three "incredible" young men joined his family for Thanksgiving. 

Elizabeth Price, Awartani’s mother who lives in Ramallah in the West Bank, told NBC News on Monday that her son was staying with his maternal grandmother and his uncle who lives next door.

She said: “The short-term shock is now evolving into something more complex as he tries to frame who he is in the world and what it means to be safe in America, particularly when you get shot down the street from your granny’s house in a street he’s basically grown up on."

Price, who said her son is a double major in mathematics and archeology at Brown, added: "He’s a fascinating young man and he has a lot of potential. I believe in him because I believe his ability to see and be enriched by the world and be excited by the world, no matter what happens."