Story perspectives

Vermont Jury Convicts Jason Eaton of Attempted Murder

By Drooid · Sep 24, 2026, 8:03 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Jason Eaton Convicted

A Burlington, Vermont jury found Jason Eaton guilty of three counts of attempted second-degree murder.
The verdict was read on September 21, 2026 after roughly two hours of deliberation.
Eaton shot three Palestinian college students near his apartment on November 25, 2023.
The jury rejected his insanity defense, leaving him facing life without parole.
Victims Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Aliahmad were 20 and walking on North Prospect Street.

Summary

Kinnan Abdalhamid Urges Ceasefire

Victims’ families issued a statement expressing relief and condemning hateful violence against Palestinians.
Hisham Awartani graduated with honors from Brown University and plans graduate archaeology studies.
Kinnan Abdalhamid urged Haverford College to endorse a cease-fire in Gaza.
Awartani thanked UVM Medical Center and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital for extensive care.
Campus protests have intensified, indicating a shift toward Palestinian rights.

History

Historical Context

The 1998 dragging murder of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, Texas prompted the 2001 Texas hate-crime statute and, together with Matthew Shepard’s 1998 killing, spurred the 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. That federal law broadened hate-crime provisions, shaping the prosecutorial approach that led to Jason Eaton’s 2023 conviction for the bias-motivated shooting of three Palestinian students in Burlington, Vermont.

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Jason Eaton Convicted

A Burlington, Vermont jury found Jason Eaton guilty of three counts of attempted second-degree murder.
The verdict was read on September 21, 2026 after roughly two hours of deliberation.
Eaton shot three Palestinian college students near his apartment on November 25, 2023.
The jury rejected his insanity defense, leaving him facing life without parole.
Victims Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Aliahmad were 20 and walking on North Prospect Street.

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