Three young men of Palestinian descent, who were in Burlington for a Thanksgiving holiday gathering, were shot and injured, with one in serious condition, near the University of Vermont, as stated by the police on Sunday.
Authorities are considering the possibility that the attack might be a hate crime.
Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad stated on Sunday that police are actively searching for the suspect following the incident around 6:25 p.m. on Saturday near the UVM campus.
Two of the men were in stable condition, while the third sustained “much more serious injuries,” according to Murad. All three, aged 20, were walking during a visit to the home of one of the victims’ relatives when they were confronted by a white man with a handgun, as reported by the police.
“Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled,” Murad stated. “All three victims were struck, two in their torsos and one in the lower extremities.”
The victims are of Palestinian descent, with two being U.S. citizens and one a legal resident. Two of the men were wearing black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves, according to Murad.
While expressing sympathies for the victims and their families, Murad mentioned that there is no additional information to suggest a motive. He acknowledged the possibility of a hate-motivated crime, given the current atmosphere, and indicated collaboration with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners for potential hate crime charges if proven.
“The fact is that we don’t yet know as much as we want to right now,” Murad added. “But I urge the public to avoid making conclusions based on statements from uninvolved parties who know even less.”
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee released a statement Sunday stating that the victims were Palestinian American college students, and there is “reason to believe this shooting occurred because the victims are Arab.”
The committee’s statement described a man shouting and harassing the victims while they were conversing in Arabic, leading to the shooting.
The FBI in Albany, New York, posted a statement on X, formerly Twitter, late Sunday, indicating that the bureau is actively investigating the shooting in collaboration with the Burlington Police Department, ATF, and other federal, state, and local agencies.
The White House mentioned that President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting and would continue to receive law enforcement updates.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has announced in a statement that it is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the person or people responsible for the shootings.
The Institute for Middle East Understanding provided a statement on X that it claimed was from the victims’ families.
“We are extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of our children,” the statement said. “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.”
In response to the shooting, U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries encouraged 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 the statement posted on X. “We will not let hatred win.”
The Vermont Independent senator, Sen. Bernie Sanders, also condemned the shooting.
“It is shocking and deeply upsetting that three young Palestinians were shot here in Burlington, VT. Hate has no place here, or anywhere. I look forward to a full investigation,” Sanders said in a statement.
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger expressed concern about the possibility of the shooting being motivated by hate, considering it “chilling.”
Governor Phil Scott labeled the incident a tragedy, urging residents to come together and avoid letting it fuel more hate or divisiveness.
The Vermont-New Hampshire chapter of Jewish Voice For Peace expressed being appalled by the shooting incident.
“We express our solidarity with the students, their families, and all those impacted by this evident act of hate,” the organization stated on Sunday. “Our solidarity extends to all Palestinian people in occupied Palestine, globally, and here in Vermont, and we are dedicated to fostering a Vermont that is safe and welcoming for everyone.”
The American Jewish Committee, a global advocacy organization for Jewish people, also conveyed through X that it was “horrified” by the attack and called on “law enforcement to investigate this act as a potential hate crime.”
In a separate incident last month, an Illinois landlord faced a hate crime charge after allegedly fatally stabbing a 6-year-old Muslim boy and seriously injuring his mother in Chicago. Police and family members asserted that he targeted the victims because of their faith.
Demonstrations have been widespread, and tensions in the U.S. have escalated 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 and Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners, all young men. As part of a four-day truce agreement, it was the third exchange.
