A jury found Jason Eaton guilty of three counts of attempted second-degree murder for the 2023 shooting of three Palestinian American college students in Burlington.
Key facts
- •Jason Eaton was convicted of three counts of attempted second-degree murder.
- •The victims were Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Aliahmad, and Kinnan Abdalhamid.
- •Awartani sustained permanent paralysis from the chest down due to the shooting.
- •The jury rejected an insanity defense based on claims that Eaton received orders from the CIA and Mossad.
- •Eaton faces a potential sentence of up to life in prison without parole.
A Vermont jury on Monday convicted Jason Eaton of three counts of attempted second-degree murder for the November 2023 shooting of three Palestinian American college students. The verdict rejected Eaton's insanity defense, which claimed he was acting under orders from the CIA, Mossad, and God. The victims, Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Aliahmad, and Kinnan Abdalhamid, were walking in Burlington when they were confronted and shot.
By the numbers
Details of the Attack and Injuries
The three students, all 20 years old at the time, were visiting Awartani's grandmother during a Thanksgiving break when the shooting occurred. Prosecutors stated the victims were wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves and speaking a mix of English and Arabic when Eaton approached them. Awartani was left paralyzed from the chest down, while Aliahmad was struck in the chest and Abdalhamid was struck in the glute while attempting to flee.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
During the trial at the Chittenden Superior Court, Eaton did not dispute that he was the shooter but argued he was legally insane. His defense team presented claims that he believed he was receiving orders from intelligence agencies and a divine source to protect his neighbors. Eaton faces a potential sentence of up to life in prison without parole, with a presumptive minimum term of 20 years for each count. Sentencing will occur at a later date.
Timeline
- November 25, 2023Jason Eaton shot three Palestinian American students in Burlington, Vermont.
- September 2024A jury trial commenced in the Chittenden Superior Court.
- Monday, September 21, 2024The jury returned a guilty verdict on three counts of attempted second-degree murder.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Haaretz, Al-Monitor.
