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By Jojo Kofman
BURLINGTON, VT – Nearly four months after three Palestinian college students were shot in Burlington, the alleged shooter, Jason J. Eaton, made his second appearance in Chittenden County Superior Court Friday.
Eaton, a 48-year-old man, previously pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempted second degree murder and is currently being held in custody without bail.
Community members filled the courtroom Friday afternoon wearing keffiyehs to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim community who “suffered a great deal after this crime,” said Wafic Faour, a member of Vermonters for Justice in Palestine, in an interview with The Vanguard.
Faour urged state prosecutors and government officials to charge Eaton with a hate crime, stating, “I want it to be charged as a hate crime, and we have today the question of hate and racism when it appears in our community and our streets. The moment we don’t talk about it, it will repeat itself and we act as if it never happened.”
On Nov. 25, 2023, Tasheen Ahmed, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Hisham Awartani were out for a walk when they saw a man standing across the road come down the porch of a home and proceed to pull out a pistol and shoot them, stated NBC news.
Awartani and Ahman were wearing keffiyehs when they were shot, and all three of them were speaking Arabic, said NBC news.
Awartani, Abdalhamid and Ahmad were able to survive; however, Awartani could face permanent paralysis in his legs due to a bullet lodged in his spine, reported NPR.
The three college students were in Burlington at the time to celebrate Thanksgiving at Awartani’s grandmother’s house, and had decided to take a walk that “ended in tragedy” around the block that day after coming back from a bowling alley, said NBC news.
The victims’ families and multiple civil rights organizations are asking the shooting be investigated as a hate crime, not just second degree murder, reported Vermont Public.
“Although we do not yet have evidence to support a hate crime enhancement, there is no question this was a hateful act,” said Sarah George, the Chittenden County State’s Attorney, stated Vermont Public.
“We’d like to see State Attorney Sarah George call the crime as is. It was a hate crime against three Palestinian Arab students,” said Faour.
Faour asserts the refusal of Burlington leaders, including the city council and mayor, to label this as a hate crime is fueling hate against the Palestinian community, allowing for rejections of ceasefire resolutions, and impeding on the people of Burlington’s will to vote on ceasefire and anti-apartheid measures.
The Palestinian students shot say the suspect waited for and targeted them, according to NBC news.
An affidavit states Eaton told Burlington police officers “[h]e’d been waiting for them.” Records state that in Eaton’s apartment police were able to match a gun and ammunition to bullets found at the crime scene. If Eaton is convicted, he faces 20 years to life in prison.
Friday afternoon’s hearing consisted of a status conference before Superior Court Judge Kevin Griffin to discuss future steps and progress of the case as the discovery phase continues.
Judge Griffin concluded the hearing by setting a deposition deadline and confirming with the court that the case is on track for trial in January 2025.
