Palestinian student shot in Vermont is paralyzed from chest down, his family says

Hisham Awartani, a Palestinian-Irish American college student, may face permanent paralysis following an unprovoked shooting in Burlington, Vermont.

Suspected Hate Crime: Awartani, along with his friends Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, were shot by a man who approached them on November 25.
* FBI and Vermont authorities are investigating whether this shooting was a hate crime.
* The three men were of Palestinian descent and were speaking a mix of Arabic and English at the time of the incident. Two of the victims were wearing traditional Palestinian scarves known as keffiyehs.

Victims’ Current Situation: After being shot, Awartani is paralyzed from the chest down due to a bullet in his spine.
* Despite his condition, his family claims that he has shown courage, resilience, fortitude, and humor.
* Awartani is scheduled for hospital release next week and will begin rehabilitation.

Legal Proceeding: The accused shooter, Jason J. Eaton, 48, has plead not guilty to three counts of attempted murder.
* He is scheduled for court on Dec. 18.

Context: This incident reflects increased violence in the U.S. against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities since the Israel-Hamas war.
* At the time of the shooting, Awartani was visiting his grandmother in Vermont for Thanksgiving break from Brown University. His parents thought it would be safer for him to stay in the U.S. rather than returning to Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
View original article on NPR
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