Three young Palestinian students were shot in Burlington, Vermont on Saturday night while walking to a family dinner near the University of Vermont campus. The victims, Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ahmed, and Kinnan Abdalhamid, were wearing keffiyeh scarves and speaking Arabic when they were confronted and shot by a man. Two of the victims are in stable condition, while the third has more serious injuries. Authorities have arrested a suspect, Jason J. Eaton, and are conducting a thorough investigation. The families of the victims have urged the police to treat the attack as a hate crime.

Police Chief Jon Murad has expressed sympathies for the victims and their families and said that federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners have been contacted to prepare for possible hate crime charges. Mayor Miro Weinberger is set to join Murad at a press conference to discuss the investigation.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Authorities collected evidence during a search of Eaton's apartment and have scheduled his arraignment for Monday. The families are calling for a thorough investigation and justice for the victims.