Police Search for Suspect After Shooting of Three Palestinian College Students in Burlington

Law enforcement authorities in Vermont are currently conducting an extensive search for a suspect following a tragic incident in which three college students of Palestinian descent were shot on Saturday evening in Burlington.

At approximately 6:30 p.m., emergency responders in the vibrant college town of New England received multiple reports of gunshots. Upon arriving at the scene, the police discovered two individuals who had sustained injuries, while the third victim was found nearby, as reported by WCAX.

The three young men were immediately rushed to the University of Vermont Medical Center, where they are currently receiving medical treatment for their non-fatal injuries.

The individuals involved in this unfortunate incident have been identified as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid, and Tahseen Ahmed, as confirmed by their alma mater, the Ramallah Friends School. Situated in the West Bank city of Ramallah, this Quaker-operated educational institution expressed relief over the fact that their students survived the attack but also expressed concern about their condition.

In a statement shared on Facebook, the Ramallah Friends School conveyed their thoughts, prayers, and well wishes to the injured students and their families. The severity of their injuries is particularly distressing, with Hisham having sustained a gunshot wound to the back, Tahseen to the chest, and Kinnan suffering minor injuries.

Further information revealed that Awartani is currently enrolled at Brown University, Hamid is pursuing his studies at Haverford College, and Ahmed is attending Trinity College, based on the statement provided.

As of now, the police have not yet identified a suspect in the shooting nor made any arrests, according to WCAX.

Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian Mission to the United Kingdom, strongly condemned the attack in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Zomlot alleged that the students were targeted due to their choice of attire, specifically the keffiyeh, a scarf often worn as a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.

Expressing his concern, Zomlot emphasized the urgent need to halt hate crimes against Palestinians. He further called for the protection of Palestinians worldwide in light of this distressing incident.

Zomlot drew parallels between this incident and the tragic death of six-year-old Palestinian-American child Wadea Al-Fayoume, who was fatally stabbed by his landlord in a suspected hate crime back in October.

Since the eruption of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, there has been a disturbing increase in documented Islamophobic hate crimes.

According to NBC News, the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported a significant 162% surge in requests for assistance and reports of bias during the period between October 7 and October 24, in comparison to the same period in the previous year.