On November 25, 2023, three 20-year-old students of Palestinian descent were shot and injured in
Burlington, Vermont.[2] The students, who were visiting Burlington for
Thanksgiving break,[3] were wearing
keffiyehs to show solidarity with
Palestine amid the
ongoing war in Gaza when they were shot near the
University of Vermont.[4] A suspect was arrested the following day, with the Burlington Police Chief stating the shooting was being investigated as a possible
hate crime.[5]
Shooting
Three Palestinian 20-year-old male college students were returning to one of their grandmothers homes after spending time bowling during a birthday party and were near the
University of Vermont and the
UVM Medical Center.[6] They had been in Burlington since November 22, and were staying at the home of one of the student’s grandmothers.[7] The students were reported to be speaking a mixture of
Arabic and English and two of them were wearing keffiyehs[8] when the suspect walked up to them and began to shoot at them, apparently only striking two of them when he was about 6 ft (1.8 m) away. One of the wounded was able to call 911, while the third fled to a neighbor’s home before realizing he had been shot, while asking for them to call 911.[9][7]
All three students were wounded, with one shot in the chest, another in the spine, and one through his backside.[7] The mother of the most seriously injured victim told NPR that doctors had told the family it was unlikely her son would be able to use his legs again.[11] In response to the news, the personal physician of King
Abdullah II of Jordan reached out to the boy's family to identify his medical needs and send a specialist.[13] In a statement, the young man said he was "one casualty in a much wider conflict."[14] His family later confirmed that he was paralyzed from the chest down due to a bullet lodged in his spine.[15]
In a statement following the shooting, the student who was permanently disabled said, "Had I been shot in the West Bank, where I grew up, the medical services that saved my life here would likely have been withheld by the Israeli Army. The soldier who shot me would go home and never be convicted."[16]
Legal
The suspect was arraigned via video link on November 27, pled not guilty and is being held without bail. He is currently being charged with three felony counts and if convicted will potentially face life in prison.[17][8]
Suspect
A 48-year old
white male suspect was arrested and charged with three counts of
attempted murder in the second degree, with investigations into possible hate crime charges continuing.[18] When federal agents knocked on his door to arrest him, the suspect reportedly opened the door and told officials, "I've been waiting for you," and refused to say anything else.[7] A subsequent search of his home revealed a pistol along with ammunition that was the same brand and caliber as
shell casings found at the scene of the shooting.[18]
Reactions
U.S. Senator and former Burlington Mayor
Bernie Sanders stated it was "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".[5] U.S. Attorney General
Merrick Garland stated, "There is understandable fear in communities across the country".[19] President
Joe Biden condemned the attack.[20]Vermont senator
Peter Welch also condemned the attack.[21][22] Vice-president
Kamala Harris called the attack "senseless."[23] Ambassador
Husam Zomlot stated, "The hate crimes against Palestinians must stop."[24] The Vermont state attorney for
Chittenden County called it a "hateful act".[25]
The parents of one of the victims lamented that they thought he would be safer in the United States than in
Ramallah due to the
ongoing 2023 Israel-Hamas war.[11] An uncle of another stated the attack was close to "tragic irony" and the attacks spoke of the level of hatred in the United States. He felt betrayed since he thought the US was safer than the West Bank.[26] Another victim's uncle said the boys were extraordinary.[27] The mother of one victim stated it was "every mother's nightmare" come true.[28]
The
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee stated, "We have reason to believe that the shooting was motivated by the three [victims] being Arab."[29] A group of Burlington-area
rabbis spoke out about the shooting in a joint statement condemning the shooting and hope that the perpetrator was brought to justice, the group had also contacted the Islamic Center of Vermont to offer a message of support.[26]
At a vigil for the students at
Brown University on November 27, protestors demanded that the university
divest from Israel, leading university president
Christina Paxson to leave the podium while students chanted "Shame! Shame! Shame!" at her.[30] A peaceful
sit-in at
University Hall took place on December 6, organized by the "Brown
Divest Coalition." Forty-one students were arrested and charged with trespassing. More than 200 students protested about the arrests on December 11.[31]