Families of three Palestinian students studying at American universities, who were shot on Saturday evening in Vermont, have called on U.S. officials to "investigate the incident as a hate crime" while awaiting updates on their sons' treatment. The families released a statement through the Middle East Understanding Institute, a nonprofit organization supportive of Palestinians, saying, "We urge law enforcement authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, including treating this matter as a hate crime. We will not feel at ease until the shooter is brought to justice."
The three students—Hisham Awartani from Brown University in Rhode Island, Kanan Abdelhamid from Haverford College in Pennsylvania, and Tahseen Ahmad from Trinity College in Connecticut—were shot near the University of Vermont last night and are being treated for injuries of varying severity. Burlington police have not disclosed the shooter's identity or made any arrests, nor have they commented on the possible motive behind the crime. The police spokesperson was also unavailable for comment.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates issued a statement on Sunday condemning the shooting incident in Vermont, stating that it resulted in injuries to the three Palestinian students. The ministry condemned "in the strongest terms the heinous shooting crime against... Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ahmad, and Kanan Abdelhamid while they were going out wearing Palestinian keffiyehs and speaking Arabic, which led to them sustaining serious and moderate injuries." The ministry demanded "that the relevant American authorities swiftly arrest the perpetrator, investigate, and hold them accountable."
