FBI Investigating Shooting of Three Palestinian Students in Vermont
The FBI is investigating the shooting of three Palestinian college students who were attacked and wounded near the University of Vermont on Saturday night.
Two of the victims are in stable condition while the other individual faces serious injuries, according to CNBC, who cited the Burlington Police Department in Vermont.
Law enforcement revealed the students were heading to a Thanksgiving dinner when a shooter fired four shots with a pistol, hitting all three of them. Two in the trio were reportedly wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves.
The students are enrolled at different colleges, including Brown University, Haverford College, and Trinity College. All three of the students previously received their education in the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the West Bank together.
The attacks comes as the conflict with Israel and Hamas continues to rage on; although, a temporary cease-fire was recently brokered to transport prisoners and hostages. Since the start of the conflict, anti-Semitic attacks against Jews in the U.S. have gone up by 400%, according to Anti-Defamation League.
President Joe Biden has reportedly been briefed on the case and will receive updates as the FBI continues their investigation, the White House stated Sunday. Earlier this month, Biden unveiled a national program to stop Islamophobia in the U.S.
The families of the victims are pressuring the law enforcement to investigate the shooting as a hate crime, writing in a statement, “Our children are dedicated students who deserve to be able to focus on their studies and building their futures.”
The Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad did not rule out the possibility of the case being a hate-motivated crime.
“In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime. And I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if it’s proven,” Murad said in a statement.
Per CNBC:
Hate crimes are considered federal offenses. A spokesperson for FBI Albany, which covers Vermont, said in a statement following news of the shooting that the bureau was investigating the incident to see if there was evidence of a “federal violation.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, is offering a $10,000 reward for any reports or information that could help arrest and convict the shooter.
