Tragedy in Vermont: Palestinian Students Targeted in Unprovoked Shooting, Leaving One Paralyzed

In a shocking incident last week in Vermont, USA, a group of Palestinian students fell victim to an unprovoked shooting, resulting in severe injuries and paralysis for one of the students. The mother of Hisham Awartani, one of the injured, revealed to CNN that her son now faces paralysis from the chest down after a bullet lodged in his spine. Currently undergoing treatment, the family has initiated a GoFundMe campaign to cover his medical and rehabilitation expenses.

Palestinian American student Hisham Awartani and his mother, Elizabeth Price Source: Facebook/avi.salloway

Hisham, a 20-year-old student at Brown University, along with his childhood friends Tahseen Ali Ahmed and Kinan Abdul Hamid, was shot during an evening stroll near his grandmother’s house, where they were staying for the Thanksgiving holiday. Tahseen sustained a chest wound, while Kinan was hit from behind as he tried to escape the assailant.

The trio, known to each other since their primary education days at Friends School in Ramallah, a historic institution founded in 1869, were conversing in a mix of English and Arabic and were wearing kufiyahs at the time of the attack, as recounted by Abdul Hamid to CBS.

Palestinian college student Kinnan Abdalhamid recounts the moment he and his friends were shot in Vermont, telling CBS News’ @errolbarnett he felt “an extreme spike of pain.” Abdalhamid and his mother visited the hospital where the two other victims are still recovering. pic.twitter.com/O6qoXVLX7t

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) December 1, 2023

Authorities have charged 48-year-old Jason Eaton with three counts of second-degree attempted murder. This act of violence has sparked widespread fear across U.S. universities, particularly those with Palestinian students, amidst growing concerns over Islamophobia and anti-Semitism fueled by the recent Israel-Hamas conflict.

This attack in Vermont has intensified these fears, as reported by the Washington Post. Just last October, a six-year-old American child of Palestinian descent was fatally stabbed in Illinois, with the 71-year-old suspect pleading not guilty.

The incident has raised alarms among human rights organizations about the increasing hate crimes against Muslim Americans and those of Arab descent.