university of vermont
Photo: Rachel Voorhees
Three Palestinian students were shot and wounded Saturday night near the University of Vermont, police said.
Burlington, Vermont, police said two of the three 20-year-old men were in stable condition, but the other had more serious injuries.
The report said the victims were on their way to a Thanksgiving dinner at a relative’s home, and two of them were wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves. The gunman fired at least four shots from a pistol, hitting all three students. Officers from the Burlington Police Department, University of Vermont Police Department, and other local units were immediately on the scene.
All three participated quaker school Together, they are now undergraduate students at Brown University, Haverford University, and Trinity College.
The shooting occurred amid an escalation of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war. The Hamas war is currently under a four-day military halt to ensure the safe passage of released hostages. In early November, President Joe Biden announced a “first-of-its-kind” national plan to combat Islamophobia.
In a joint statement, the victims’ families urged police to treat the shooting as a hate crime, saying, “Our children are dedicated students and deserve to be able to focus on their studies and building their futures.” Ta.
“In this moment of condemnation, there is no one who looks at this incident and does not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime. And I have already contacted our federal investigative and prosecution partners. and we are prepared if this is proven,” Burlington Police Chief John Murad said in a statement.
Hate crimes are considered federal crimes. A spokesperson for the FBI in Albany, which covers Vermont, said in a statement following news of the shooting that the agency is investigating the incident to see if there is evidence of “federal violations.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) $10,000 reward Any reports or information that could assist in the arrest and conviction of the shooter.
Sen. Bernie Sanders issued a statement about the shooting in a social media post Sunday.
“The shooting of three young Palestinians here in Burlington, Vermont is shocking and deeply upsetting. Hatred has no place here or anywhere. We look forward to a thorough investigation. .My thoughts are with them and their families,” the Vermont independent said.said in post on X (formerly Twitter).