Hisham Awartani: GoFundMe set up for Palestinian Ivy League student shot in Vermont and tragically paralyzed from chest down
BURLINGTON, VERMONT: In a shocking incident over the Thanksgiving weekend, Hisham Awartani, a 20-year-old Palestinian math major at Brown University, was shot in Vermont and is now sadly paralyzed from the chest down.
A GoFundMe campaign has been initiated by his family to help cover Awartani's medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and the travel expenses of his family.
What led to the tragic shooting?
Awartani, along with his friends Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, who grew up together in the West Bank, became victims of a callous act of violence while visiting Burlington for the holiday, on Saturday, November 25. This unfortunate incident occurred against the backdrop of growing tension over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The three friends were out for a walk when Jason Eaton, 48, allegedly opened fire on them. While Abdalhamid and Ahmad were struck in the upper torso and lower extremities, Awartani suffered a devastating injury as one of the bullets became lodged in his spine, leaving him paralyzed.
The assailant briefly stood over the victims and Awartani was convinced he would “continue to shoot them and kill them,” his mom Elizabeth Price said, as per CNN.
Who is Hisham Awartani?
Despite the immense challenges posed by his injuries, Awartani remains engaged with his studies at Brown University, where he is pursuing a dual degree in math and archaeology.
"Hisham speaks seven languages, is a teacher assistant at Brown and is so dedicated to his studies that he has told his college professors he is determined to start the next semester “on time,"" noted the family's GoFundMe.
The tragic incident has sparked an ongoing investigation into whether the shooting was a hate crime. Authorities are looking into the possibility, especially considering the victims were wearing traditional Palestinian scarves at the time of the attack.
What are the charges against Jason Eaton?
Eaton, the alleged shooter, was arrested on November 26 and charged with three counts of attempted murder in the second degree but he has pleaded not guilty. The victims' families and civil rights groups are urging Vermont investigators to treat the case as a hate crime.
“We believe a full investigation is likely to show our sons were targeted and violently attacked simply for being Palestinian. Our children, Palestinian children, like everyone else, deserve to feel safe,” said the families' statement. "This absolutely was a hateful act," alleged Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad.