Mother of Palestinian Student Confirms Paralysis Resulting from Vermont Shooting
One of the three Palestinian students visiting Vermont for the holiday was tragically shot, leaving Hisham Awartani paralyzed from the chest down Urging authorities to investigate the incident as a hate crime, families shared a powerful statement from the victim during a moving vigil
Hisham Awartani, a Palestinian college student, was paralyzed from the chest down after being shot while walking in Vermont over Thanksgiving weekend. His family has started a GoFundMe campaign to support the 20-year-old junior at Brown University, who will be released from the hospital next week and begin rehabilitation. This information was shared by his mother, Elizabeth Price, in a statement to CNN.
"We have confidence in Hisham's ability to face this challenge with the same determination I've seen this week," she stated. "The fund will assist in covering the expenses related to his rehabilitation, air travel for his family, and costs associated with the adaptive needs in his new reality."
Awartani and his two close friends from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Kinnan Abdalhamid of Haverford College and Tahseen Ali Ahmad of Trinity College, were taking a walk in Burlington on Saturday, chatting in both English and Arabic, when they were shot, according to Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad. Additionally, two of the men were wearing traditional Palestinian keffiyehs at the time of the attack.
Following Awartani's life-changing spinal injury, two other men were also shot in the upper torso and lower extremities, and were admitted to the ICU, according to the police. Both victims have been discharged from the hospital. Abdalhamid's parents expressed their "extreme relief" at his release from the hospital in a statement on Tuesday evening, but also acknowledged that the tragedy will have a lasting impact on their lives.
They said that Kinnan expressed his fear of leaving the hospital, stating, "Our child may be physically well enough to be out of the hospital, but he is still shaken from this horrific attack."
From left, Tahseen Ali Ahmad, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Hisham Awartani.
Institute for Middle East Understanding
Jason J. Eaton, a 48-year-old suspect in the attack, was arrested on Sunday and charged with three counts of attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Authorities have not determined a motive in the attack, but they are investigating whether it was motivated by hate.
"I've had a tough and emotionally draining six days, but it has also been an extraordinary and inspiring time - first, to witness Hisham and his two childhood friends confronting this experience with resilience, strength, and genuine concern for others," Price stated on Saturday. "â¦and secondly, to receive overwhelming support from people around the globe, including messages of love and encouragement from many of you."
If the entire amount raised by the GoFundMe is not required, the funds will be directed towards a support fund for other Palestinians facing greater vulnerability and hardship, according to Price.
"We urge you to stand in unity with those who grieve, recognizing that the inevitable result of dehumanizing any group of people is hateful violence," her statement urges.
Students were visiting for the holiday
The Thanksgiving holiday brought the students to Burlington, where they were hosted by Awartanis uncle, Rich Price, as per CNN. Prior to the attack, they had joined in the celebration of the uncles 8-year-old twin sons' birthday party.
Awartani informed his mother that he was "suddenly on the ground" when the shooting started and remembered a friend "screaming in pain" from a chest injury, according to Elizabeth Price. The third victim, who believed his friends were dead, attempted to flee in order to seek assistance, she stated.
The gunman lingered over them briefly, and Awartani feared that he would "keep shooting and kill them," the mother recounted. After the shooter fled, Awartani managed to contact 911.
Elizabeth Price informed CNN on Tuesday that her son has an "incomplete spinal injury," which allows him to feel his legs but prevents him from moving them. She also mentioned that he has a broken clavicle and a fractured thumb. Due to the spinal injury, he is struggling with regulating his body temperature.
According to his mother, he is anticipated to spend one to four weeks in spinal trauma care, followed by several months of physical therapy.
Awartanis uncle said the three students grew up in Ramallah before coming to the US for college.
Photo of Kinnan Abdalhamid, one of three Palestinian students shot in VT, with his mother, Tamara Tamimi.
Institute for Middle East
A Palestinian student went to his neighbor's door seeking help for his friends, only to realize he had also been shot. Awartani, Abdalhamid, and Ahmad have been friends since grade school, attending the Ramallah Friends School in the Israeli-occupied city before coming to the United States for college, according to the school's head, Rania Maayeh.
The three young men injured in Vermont were born just before the end of the Second Intifada, a violent Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza that resulted in thousands of deaths.
"They were raised under military occupation, and who would have thought that they would end up in a place like this, risking their lives while celebrating Thanksgiving," Rich Price remarked.
Abdalhamid revealed to CNN's Anderson Cooper on Friday that he was wounded in the back as he fled the scene, just moments after the other two students were shot. He emphasized that the incident is indicative of "a larger problem related to the animosity towards Palestinians."
Wadea Al-Fayoume, 6.
Family Handout/CAIR-Chicago
Palestinian-American boy fatally stabbed near Chicago had recently celebrated his 6th birthday.
Wadea Al Fayoume, the 6-year-old victim, was stabbed 26 times by his family's landlord in Plainfield Township, Illinois in October, according to the Will County Sheriff's Office. Abdalhamid claims that the tragic event has profoundly impacted him, his friends, and other Palestinian families.
Families urge police to treat case as hate crime
Our community exudes a remarkably strong sense of unity, and it resonates deeply with everyone. This is why every Palestinian is currently feeling distressed about the situation in Gaza, especially now that the ceasefire has come to an end.
The suspect's apartment, located near the shooting scene, was searched and a pistol and ammunition were found. Murad, the police chief, stated that these items were connected to the bullet casings discovered at the scene. Despite finding sufficient evidence to link Eaton to the attack, investigators are still trying to determine a motive.
Authorities discovered a treasure trove of electronic devices in the Eatons apartment, which could potentially provide valuable information. Murad announced on CNNs Erin Burnett OutFront Monday night that the police will collaborate with the FBI to analyze the devices. The seized items included five cell phones, an iPad, and a backpack filled with hard drives, as stated in an affidavit.
A photo taken shortly before Tahseen Ali Ahmad (left), Kinnan Abdalhamid and Hisham Awartani were shot Saturday.
Institute for Middle East Understanding
Are there grounds to charge the suspect who shot 3 Palestinian students with a hate crime? The victims' families and multiple civil rights organizations are urging investigators to consider the attack as a hate crime, citing a surge in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias incidents in the United States following the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Murad told CNN on Monday that the act was undeniably hateful. However, determining if it meets the legal criteria for a hate crime is a separate issue. Additionally, federal prosecutors in Vermont are looking into whether the shooting could be classified as a hate crime.
After Eatons court appearance on Monday, his lawyer, Margaret Jansch, stated that it was too early to speculate about a potential hate crime motive.
According to Murad, Eaton remained unemotional when he was informed of the charges against him by the police.
In a joint statement on Monday, the families of the victims called for "complete justice and accountability." They stated, "We are of the opinion that a thorough investigation will reveal that our sons were deliberately targeted and brutally attacked simply because they were Palestinian. Our Palestinian children, like all others, deserve to feel secure."
Statement from victim read aloud during vigil
During a vigil for the three students, a Brown University professor read a text from Awartani in which the young man expressed, "Who knew that all I had to do to become famous was to get shot?"
Beshara Doumani, a professor of Palestinian Studies, quipped that anyone familiar with Awartani would not be surprised by the opening line.
"In all seriousness, it's crucial to acknowledge that this is just a small part of the bigger picture," Doumani stated, reading from Awartani's statement.
Palestinians eagerly search for their names on the voter list as they prepare to cast their votes in the Palestinian Parliamentary elections at a polling station in the West Bank town of Hebron on Wednesday, January 25, 2006. This crucial election presented Palestinians with a significant decision - whether to grant the corruption-tainted Fatah Party another opportunity to pursue a peaceful resolution with Israel, or to choose confrontation and risk international isolation by aligning with the Islamic militant Hamas. (Photo by Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images)
Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images
The keffiyeh explained: How this scarf became a Palestinian national symbol
The hideous crime did not occur in isolation. About a month ago, I, speaking as Hisham, emphasized that Palestinians cannot afford to hold vigils every time such incidents happen," the statement continued. "Though I deeply appreciate and love everyone here today, I am just one casualty in a much larger conflict."
In his statement, Awartani also claimed that if he had been shot in the West Bank, "the Israeli army would likely have withheld the medical services that saved my life here. The soldier who would have shot me would go unpunished." These remarks were met with boos and shouts of "shame" in agreement from the students in attendance.
CNNs Artemis Moshtaghian, Elizabeth Wolfe, Melissa Alonso, Ray Sanchez, Kaitlan Collins, Laura Coates, Rob Frehse, Polo Sandoval, Celina Tebor and Khalil Abdallah contributed to this report.
