Jason Eaton Declared Fit for Trial in Shooting Case of College Students
Burlington, Vt. – A judge has deemed Jason Eaton, the 49-year-old man charged with shooting three college students of Palestinian descent, fit to stand trial following a recent psychological evaluation. The determination was made during a court hearing on Tuesday, where the judge also granted Eaton’s defense attorneys additional time to gather deposition evidence.
Eaton is accused of shooting and wounding Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Ali Ahmad on the evening of November 25, 2023, while the students were walking near the University of Vermont. Reports indicate that as they conversed in a combination of English and Arabic, Eaton approached them and fired without warning. At the time, two of the students were wearing black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves.
The incident, amid heightened tension and threats directed at religious communities since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict, has prompted the victims’ families to label the shooting a hate crime. However, prosecutors have indicated that they currently lack sufficient evidence to pursue the case as a hate crime.
Eaton, who has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder, has been held without bail since his arrest. During the recent court proceedings, Eaton’s attorney, Peggy Jansch, requested an extension to the deposition deadline, originally set for December 16, citing the need for more time. The judge ultimately established May 31 as the new deadline for conducting depositions, with a status hearing slated for early March.
As the case unfolds, communities remain on alert, emphasizing the importance of addressing biases and protecting the rights of all individuals in the wake of such incidents.
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Photo credit whdh.com
