Full Breakdown
Jury Convicts Jason Eaton of Attempted Murder in Burlington Shooting
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Verdict and Charges
A Burlington jury found Jason Eaton, 51, guilty on all three counts of attempted second-degree murder for the November 25, 2023 shooting of three Palestinian college students. The verdict was delivered in September 2026 after roughly two hours of deliberation. Eaton now faces a potential life sentence.
Background & Context
The attack occurred two days after Thanksgiving as the three 20-year-old men—Hisham Awartani, a Brown University student; Tahseen Ali Ahmad, a Trinity College student; and Kinnan Abdalhamid, a Haverford College student—walked on North Prospect Street near the University of Vermont campus. All three had grown up together in the West Bank and were visiting family in Burlington for the holiday. The shooting took place shortly after the conflict in Gaza began, a backdrop the defense cited in arguing Eaton acted under delusional commands to protect a nearby Jewish household.
Data & Statistics
- Victims: three men, each 20 years old at the time of the shooting.
- Injuries: Awartani suffered a spinal injury leaving him paralyzed from the chest down; Ahmad was shot in the chest; Abdalhamid was wounded in the backside.
- Charges: three counts of attempted second-degree murder.
- Potential penalty: up to life imprisonment.
- Jury deliberation: approximately two hours.
- Forensic evidence: shell casings from the scene matched ammunition recovered from a Ruger pistol found in Eaton’s apartment.
Official Statements & Responses
Defense attorney Margaret Jansch emphasized Eaton’s long-standing mental-health struggles, noting his attempts to obtain help over three decades. Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Jhilam Biswas, testifying on September 17, 2026, concluded that while Eaton exhibited personality-disorder traits and cannabis-induced paranoia, he did not meet Vermont’s legal standard for insanity because he retained the capacity to understand his actions. The court denied Eaton’s repeated motions to represent himself.
Victims’ Families’ Perspective
The victims and their families have asserted that the men were targeted because of their Palestinian heritage, a motive they say was not substantiated by prosecutors, who declined to pursue hate-crime charges.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Mental-health diagnosis: The defense presented a psychiatrist who diagnosed Eaton with a psychotic break, while the state’s expert found no formal mental-disease diagnosis, highlighting a disagreement over whether Eaton met the statutory insanity criteria.
- Motivation evidence: Prosecutors reported some evidence suggesting a bias-based motive, yet they were unable to produce sufficient proof for hate-crime charges, leaving the exact impetus for the shooting unresolved.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I was either talking to my ancestors and the divine consult or talking to an intelligence agency using an incredible AI that could come through my FM radio, through my bluetooth headset, through my phone — or I’ve had this incredible psychotic break,” — Jason Eaton, the judge
- “I'm not trying to suggest that Mr. Eaton's a victim here,” — Margaret Jansch, defense lawyer
- “You never testified in Vermont on the issue of criminal responsibility in an insanity defense case?” — Margaret Jansch, defense lawyer
- “You can have a paranoid experience on marijuana,” — Dr. Jhilam Biswas, the defense attorney
What’s Next
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date, at which time the court will determine the length of Eaton’s imprisonment.