Jury rejects Vermont man’s insanity claim after he said radio messages ordered him to open fire on three Palestinian students
Jason Eaton’s sentencing date is awaited.
A Vermont jury has convicted 51-year-old Jason Eaton of attempted murder following a week-long trial regarding the shooting of three Palestinian college students. The verdict arrived after jurors deliberated for several hours, officially rejecting Eaton’s defense that he was legally insane during the November 2023 attack. According to The Guardian, Eaton now faces up to life in prison, though his formal sentencing date remains pending.
The incident occurred near the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, leaving Hisham Awartani paralyzed from the waist down. His friends, Tahseen Aliahmad and Kinnan Abdalhamid, were also wounded during the encounter. All three men were 20 at the time of the attack, which took place just a few days after Thanksgiving. The victims, who grew up together in the West Bank, were visiting family for the holiday when the shooting occurred.
Eaton did not dispute that he was the one who fired the shots. His legal team pursued an insanity defense, arguing that he suffered from a delusional, psychotic disorder, especially following the loss of his job at a credit union shortly before the shooting. The defense claimed Eaton believed he was acting on direct orders from the CIA and Mossad, which he allegedly received via FM radio. Eaton also claimed he was acting under divine command to protect his Jewish neighbors.
The prosecution presented a different perspective, relying on expert psychiatric testimony
A forensic psychiatrist for the state acknowledged that Eaton exhibited signs of a personality disorder but maintained that he was not delusional. This testimony directly countered the defense’s expert, who claimed Eaton could not distinguish right from wrong at the time of the shooting.
The victims provided harrowing testimony regarding the night of the attack. Awartani, who was a student at Brown University, described walking near the apartment house where he was staying while smoking cigarettes and speaking a mix of English and Arabic. Two of the students were wearing traditional Palestinian keffiyehs.
Awartani noted Eaton standing on a porch as they approached. Within seconds, Eaton walked toward them with an expressionless face. He moved to within five to 10 feet before pulling out a handgun and opening fire.
According to The Washington Post, jurors also heard the 911 call made by Awartani immediately after the shooting. In the recording, he told the dispatcher, “I think I’m going to die,” and explained that he could not feel anything. The shooting left a lasting mark on the community of Burlington and caused significant fear among Arab and Muslim communities throughout the country.
Following the verdict, the families of the three men released a joint statement
“Justice has been rendered for Hisham, Kinnan and Tahseen. After three years of sorrow, loss, and struggle, our families finally feel relief,” they said. The families emphasized that while the verdict provides some closure, it cannot erase the trauma the victims still carry. They also pointed to Eaton’s own words during the trial, where he described the students as being dressed “like terrorists.”
The families argued that Eaton’s actions were motivated by prejudice rather than confusion. They noted that the shooting occurred amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, which made the recovery process particularly difficult for the young men. “We do not need a jury to tell us why our sons were targeted. We heard it, in his own words. This was a hate crime. We have said so from the beginning,” the statement read.
While the incident triggered widespread calls for a hate crime investigation, prosecutors did not file hate crime charges against Eaton. Questions persisted regarding whether his actions were driven by anti-Palestinian animus or an altered mental state.
Eaton was arrested the day after the shooting when federal agents arrived at his home to speak with potential witnesses. He told the agents he had been waiting for them and surrendered peacefully. Inside the home, investigators recovered several weapons, including the legally purchased handgun used in the shooting.
Eaton’s behavior throughout the legal process was erratic
He attempted to represent himself on multiple occasions and even requested that the judge replace his public defenders midway through the trial. The judge denied that motion. During the reading of the verdict, Eaton stared ahead blankly, while the victims and their families sat in the gallery. Awartani and Aliahmad were seen hugging supporters after the jury reached its decision.
The victims continue to rebuild their lives after surviving the near-fatal encounter. The families expressed gratitude for the support received from the communities in Burlington and Vermont. They remain committed to their goal of a world where violence against Palestinians is recognized and stopped.
As Eaton remains in jail awaiting his sentencing, the legal chapter of this violent incident has finally come to a close. It is a sobering reminder of the lasting impact of such senseless violence on both individuals and the broader public.
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