11/27/23 3:22 a.m. UPDATE: Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad announced a suspect has been arrested. Click here for details.
Three young men of Palestinian descent who were in Burlington, Vermont, for a Thanksgiving holiday gathering were shot and injured — one seriously — near the University of Vermont this weekend, police said Sunday, and authorities are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime.
The triple shooting occurred around 6:25 p.m. Saturday on North Prospect Street near the UVM campus, according to Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad. Responding officers found two injured people, and a third victim was located a short distance away.
Two victims were treated on scene and taken to University of Vermont Medical Center, where they were in stable condition on Sunday. The third victim was rushed to UVM Medical Center and suffered "much more serious injuries," Murad said in a press release.
“My deepest condolences go out to the victims and their families,” he added.
The shooter has not yet been identified or apprehended.
According to a preliminary investigation, the city's police chief says the three men, all age 20, were visiting the home of one of the victim’s relatives and were walking when they were confronted by a white man with a handgun.
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“Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled,” Murad said in a news release. “All three victims were struck, two in their torsos and one in the lower extremities.”
Murad said all three men are of Palestinian descent. Two are U.S. citizens and one is a legal resident. Two of the men were wearing the black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves and they were speaking Arabic.
According to NBC News, the three victims have been identified by their families as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Ahmed.
Awartani is a student at Brown University, Abdalhamid is a student at Haverford College, and Ahmed is a student at Trinity College.
Haverford College released a message from its president and dean on Sunday, saying the three are lifelong friends, asking everyone to come together in support of one another at this awful moment.
In a joint statement issued through the Institute for Middle East Understanding, the families said they "are devastated by the horrific news that our children were targeted and shot in Burlington, VT."
"At this time, our primary concern is their full recovery and that they receive the critical medical support they need to survive," the statement read. "We are extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of our children."
The families said the victims are "dedicated students who deserve to be able to focus on their studies and building their futures."
"We call on law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation, including treating this as a hate crime. We will not be comfortable until the shooter is brought to justice. We need to ensure that our children are protected, and this heinous crime is not repeated," the statement read. "No family should ever have to endure this pain and agony."
The families said they are grateful to the doctors and nurses working tirelessly to save their children's lives and to city officials who are giving their full attention to "this horrific hate crime" in the pursuit of justice.
The statement concluded with the families saying, "We appreciate the outpouring of care from our community. We ask that no one makes donations to fundraisers unless specifically organized by our families. At this time, we ask for privacy to give us the space to provide our children with the support they need to get through this tragedy."
Burlington's police chief said now that the victims are safe and receiving medical care, the department's next priority is identifying, locating, and apprehending the suspect.
He said there is no additional information to suggest the suspect’s motive, such as statements or remarks made by the shooter.
“In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime. And I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if it’s proven," Murad said. "We’re working every investigatory angle on this case, and will continue to provide reliable, factual information to public while protecting the victims and our investigation. The fact is that we don’t yet know as much as we want to right now. But I urge the public to avoid making conclusions based on statements from uninvolved parties who know even less."
The Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) said in a statement that they are calling on law enforcement in Vermont to investigate this shooting as a hate crime and that they have reached out to the Department of Justice and the FBI to also call on an immediate hate crimes investigation.
"According to the information provided the three victims were wearing a Keffiyeh and speaking Arabic. A man shouted and harassed the victims, then proceeded to shoot them," the ADC said in a statement.
A keffiyeh is a traditional headdress used by people from the Middle East.
“We are praying for a full recovery of the victims, and will support the families in any way that is needed. Given the information collected and provided, it is clear that the hate was a motivating factor in this shooting, and we call on law enforcement to investigate it as such. The surge in anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment we are experiencing is unprecedented, and this is another example of that hate turning violent," said ADC Executive Director Abed Ayoub.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the shooting.
“Due to the unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate and violence we have witnessed in recent weeks, local, state and national law enforcement authorities must investigate a possible bias motive for the shooting of these three young men,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “We hope our reward will result in information leading to an arrest in this case.”
The FBI said it is aware of the shootings.
“If, in the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate,” Sarah Ruane, an FBI spokesperson based in Albany, New York, said in a statement.
According to the White House Press Office, President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting and will receive updates as more information is gathered.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent, denounced the attack, saying, "It is shocking and deeply upsetting that three young Palestinians were shot here in Burlington, VT."
"Hate has no place here, or anywhere," he added. "I look forward to a full investigation. My thoughts are with them and their families.”
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott called the shooting "a tragedy" and said he hopes each student makes a full recovery.
“My thoughts are with them and their families," Scott said. "I have offered the State’s full support to the Mayor and Burlington Police Chief as this senseless crime is investigated, and in support of the Palestinian and broader Burlington community."
Scott urged residents to "unite to help the community heal, and not let this incident incite more hate or divisiveness."
"We must come together in these difficult times — it is the only way to put a stop to the violence we’re seeing," he added.
Mayor Miro Weinberger said the City of Burlington has zero tolerance for hate crimes and will work relentlessly to bring the shooter to justice.
“Violence of any kind against any person in our community is totally unacceptable and we will do everything in our power to find the perpetrator and hold them fully accountable. That there is an indication this shooting could have been motivated by hate is chilling, and this possibility is being prioritized in the BPD’s investigation," the mayor said.
"We don’t yet know why this appalling crime happened, we do know that the outcome is terrible for three young men who were visiting our city to enjoy time with friends and family during a holiday meant for the celebration of community," Weinberger added. "I am grieving for the pain and fear inflicted on them in our City, in this special community profoundly dedicated to being a place that is safe, welcoming, and open for all to know and enjoy."
The mayor also asked Burlingtonians again to stand together to support these victims, their families and communities with love and kindness, as the Burlington Police Department investigates.
Vermont Sen. Peter Welch also shared his reaction to the shooting on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying in a post, "We do not tolerate hate or Islamophobia in Vermont."
"I expect law enforcement to quickly identify the shooter and their motive, & will continue to monitor the situation," he said.
U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he was deeply disturbed by the shooting and called on people to “unequivocally denounce the startling rise of anti-Arab hate and Islamophobia in America.”
“No one should ever be targeted for their ethnicity or religious affiliation in our country," the New York Democrat said in statement posted on X. "We will not let hatred win.”
The American Jewish Committee said it was horrified by the shooting attack and hoping for a quick recovery for the victims and swift apprehension of the perpetrator.
They also urged law enforcement to investigate the act as a possible hate crime.
An investigation into the shootings remains ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Burlington Police Department at 802-658-2704.
Demonstrations have been widespread and tensions are escalating in the United States as the death toll rises in the Israel-Hamas war. A fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed more hostages in a third set of releases under a four-day cease-fire deal.
