- Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Ahmed, all 20 years old, were shot on Saturday evening
- The students were walking home after dinner wearing keffiyeh scarves and speaking Arabic when the suspect approached them
- Burlington police said they have not identified the shooter’s motive
Three Palestinian students were shot Saturday evening in Vermont as they walked home after dinner — in what the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Commission says is a hate crime.
The victims of the shooting in Burlington, Vermont have been identified as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Ahmed, all three are 20 years old.
According to Burlington police, the men were wearing keffiyeh scarves and speaking Arabic when the suspect approached them.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that all three were visiting the home of a victim’s family member in Burlington for Thanksgiving,” Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said.
“The three were walking along Prospect Street when they were confronted by a white man with a gun. The suspect was in the area on foot. Without saying anything, he fired at least four shots from the gun and is believed to have fled on foot.”
Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Ahmed were wearing keffiyeh scarves and speaking Arabic when they were shot on Saturday evening
When officers arrived on scene, they found three people with gunshot wounds.
Murad said two victims were at one location and were treated on scene by the Burlington Fire Department before being taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center. The third victim was found a short distance away and taken to hospital.
“Two of them were wearing keffiyehs at the time of the attack. “At this time, there is no additional information indicating the suspect’s motive, such as statements or comments made by the suspect,” authorities said.
However, Murad said: “At 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 contact with federal investigative and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if it is proven.”
Abed A. Ayoub, national director of the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee, said: “We pray for the victims’ full recovery and will support the families in any way we can. Given the information gathered and provided, it is clear that hatred was a motivating factor in this shooting.
‘We call on the police to investigate this as such. The wave of anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment we are experiencing is unprecedented, and this is yet another example of that hatred turning violent.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman.
Hisham Awartani shared a photo of a hospital bed on Instagram
According to police, two victims are in stable condition, while the third suffered more serious injuries.
The group’s alma mater Ramallah Friends School said they are students at American universities.
Awartani is a student at Brown University, Hamid is a student at Haverford University and Ahmed is a student at Trinity College.
“Haverford junior Kinnan Abdel Hamid is recovering from a gunshot wound at a hospital in Burlington, VT, after he and two of his lifelong friends were shot near the University of Vermont by an unknown assailant,” Haverford University said.
“Police are investigating the shooting and we are awaiting word on whether it will be prosecuted as a hate crime.”
