White man flees the scene after attacking students… 1 person in critical condition
The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 26th (local time) that police in the U.S. state of Vermont are investigating whether it was a hate crime in connection with the attack on three Palestinian college students.
Police in Burlington, Vermont, said that a white man approached Palestinian college students passing downtown on the 25th, shot them four times without saying a word, and then fled the scene.
Burlington police said in a statement on the 26th, “Two of the injured were shot in the torso and one was shot in the lower body,” and “The injured were hospitalized, one of whom was in critical condition.”
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), a Muslim human rights group in the U.S., said in a statement that the students appeared to have been targeted because they were Palestinians, adding that two of the injured were U.S. citizens and one was a legal offender. announced that he was a resident of the United States.
“As parents, we are shocked by the news that our children were targeted and shot in Burlington,” the students’ parents said. “We expect law enforcement to investigate this incident more thoroughly and classify it as a hate crime.” “No family should have to suffer like this,” he said. “Our children are dedicated students who deserve to focus on their studies and plan for their future.”
ADC explained that these students were students from Brown University, Haverford University, and Trinity University, respectively, and gathered in Burlington to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with the grandmother of one of the students.
ADC then revealed that the students were wearing a kaffiyeh, a scarf worn by Arabs, around their necks when they were attacked.
ADC argued that “it is credible that the attack on the students was motivated by the fact that they were Arab.”
Berlinton Police Chief John Murad said he was investigating whether the incident was a hate crime and asked citizens to refrain from unnecessary speculation.
He said, “Under the current circumstances, we cannot help but suspect that this incident was related to a hate crime. “I have been in contact with federal law enforcement and prosecutors to prepare for this,” he said. “The police’s top priority is to identify, locate, and apprehend the suspect.”
This is not the first crime targeting Palestinian Americans.
A man in his 70s living in southwest Chicago, Illinois, stabbed a 6-year-old Palestinian boy at a house on the 14th of last month, killing a 6-year-old Palestinian boy and injuring his mother. These people were tenants who lived in this house.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.