Suspect Arrested in Vermont Shooting of Three Palestinian American Students

Jason James Eaton pleads 'not guilty' as authorities investigate possible hate crime amid rising anti-Palestinian sentiment.

Three college students of Palestinian descent were shot in Burlington, Vermont, in an incident authorities are investigating as a possible hate crime.
The victims were walking down a major street when they were confronted by a white male with a handgun, who shot them without speaking.
Jason James Eaton, 48, was arrested in connection with the shooting and has pleaded 'not guilty' to three counts of attempted murder.
Civil rights groups and family members of the victims have expressed concerns that the shooting may have been motivated by anti-Palestinian or anti-Muslim sentiment.
The shooting comes amid a rise in reported hate crimes against Muslim and Arab Americans, as well as Jewish Americans, in the wake of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.