Palestinian College Student Shot in Vermont May Be Permanently Disabled
One of the three Palestinian college students who were shot while walking in Vermont may not be able to move his legs for the rest of his life after a bullet became lodged in his spine, according to his family.
Student's Injuries and Recovery
A 20-year-old junior at Brown University, Hisham Awartani, is facing a long road to recovery after being shot while walking in Vermont with two friends from the West Bank. He has an incomplete spinal injury, meaning he can feel his legs but can't move them. Additionally, his clavicle is broken, he has a fractured thumb, and he has difficulty regulating his body temperature due to the spinal injury. He is expected to spend weeks in spinal trauma care and months in physical therapy.
King Abdullah II of Jordan has offered his support and a specialist may be sent to meet Awartani and identify what kind of support he needs.
Investigation into the Attack
The suspect in the attack, 48-year-old Jason J. Eaton, has been arrested and charged with three counts of attempted murder. Police are investigating whether the attack was motivated by hate, as two of the victims were wearing traditional Palestinian scarves at the time.
The families of the victims are calling for a full investigation into the attack and are urging authorities to treat it as a hate crime. They believe their sons were targeted and violently attacked simply for being Palestinian.
Community Response and Call for Justice
Following the attack, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger called for support for the city's Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab residents. He invited residents to a candlelight vigil to show solidarity.
The victims' families and civil rights groups are seeking full justice and accountability. They want the case to be treated as a hate crime and believe that their children deserve to feel safe.
While investigators continue to search for a motive, they are analyzing electronic devices seized from Eaton's apartment and working with the FBI to determine if there is evidence of a hate motivation.
