Vermont Man Convicted of Attempted Murder in Shooting of Three Palestinian Students
Jury rejects insanity defense for Jason Eaton, who claimed CIA and Mossad orders prompted the attack.
A Vermont jury on Monday convicted Jason Eaton, 51, of attempted murder for shooting three Palestinian college students in November 2023, rejecting his defense that he was not guilty by reason of insanity. The conviction came after a weeklong trial in Burlington where the jury deliberated for several hours.
Eaton faces up to life in prison. His sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. He was taken into custody immediately after the verdict was read. The victims, Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Aliahmad, and Kinnan Abdalhamid, who were 20 at the time of the shooting and are now 23, expressed relief and embraced supporters in the courtroom.
The defense had argued that Eaton was suffering from a delusional, psychotic disorder and was acting on orders from intelligence agencies like the CIA and Mossad, which he believed were transmitted to him via FM radio. His lawyers presented testimony from psychiatric experts to support these claims, contending that God was also commanding him to protect his Jewish neighbors. However, the prosecution successfully argued against the insanity defense.
The shooting occurred near the University of Vermont campus a few days after Thanksgiving. The incident sent shockwaves through Burlington and reverberated in the West Bank, the home region of the three students. The attack happened weeks after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, prompting speculation and calls for a hate crime investigation.
Authorities found three shotguns and a handgun in Eaton's apartment. Crime lab tests confirmed that the handgun was used in the shooting. Eaton had purchased the weapon seven months prior to the incident.
The three students, who had become friends in Ramallah before coming to the U.S. for college, testified about their activities leading up to the shooting. They had been visiting Awartani's grandmother and went to a bowling alley for a birthday celebration before taking an evening walk near campus. Awartani, who was studying at Brown University, said he noticed Eaton on a porch as they approached. Within moments, Eaton allegedly approached them and opened fire without speaking.
Awartani sustained injuries that left him paralyzed from the waist down and now uses a wheelchair. Aliahmad, a student at Trinity College, was shot in the collarbone, and Abdalhamid, a student at Haverford College, was wounded in the buttock. Another resident in Eaton's apartment building testified to hearing the gunshots and finding the wounded students.