More than $950,000 has been raised for the recovery of one of the three college students of Palestinian descent who was shot in Vermont and is currently paralyzed from the chest down, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his family.
Quick Read
- Fundraising for Hisham Awartani, a paralyzed college student: Over $950,000 has been raised through a GoFundMe page for Hisham Awartani, a college student of Palestinian descent who was shot and is now paralyzed from the chest down.
- Details of the shooting incident: Awartani was shot on Nov. 25, and one of the bullets is lodged in his spine, as stated by his family. The incident occurred while he was with two friends, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, during a visit to relatives in Burlington, Vermont, over the Thanksgiving break.
- Background of the victims: Awartani, Abdalhamid, and Ahmad are childhood friends who attended a private Quaker school in the West Bank and are currently enrolled in colleges in the eastern U.S. At the time of the shooting, they were speaking a mix of English and Arabic and wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves.
- Investigation into the shooting: The Burlington Police are investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime, considering the circumstances and the victims’ backgrounds.
- Impact on the victims: All three young men were seriously injured, with Abdalhamid recently released from the hospital. The fundraising page highlights Awartani’s resilience and determination despite his paralysis.
- Arrest of the suspected gunman: Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arrested in connection with the shooting and has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder. He is currently held without bail.
- Context of increasing threats: The shooting occurred amid rising threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities in the U.S., following the Israel-Hamas war that began in early October.
- Awartani’s academic pursuits: Awartani, a multilingual student pursuing a dual degree in math and archaeology at Brown University, has expressed his determination to continue his education despite the incident. His family’s fundraising page reflects their belief in his potential to make a significant impact on the world.
The Associated Press has the story:
More than $950K raised for Palestinian student Paralyzed after being shot in Vermont
Newslooks- Vermont (AP)
More than $950,000 has been raised for the recovery of one of the three college students of Palestinian descent who was shot in Vermont and is currently paralyzed from the chest down, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his family.
One of the bullets that hit Hisham Awartani on Nov. 25 is lodged in his spine, his family said.
“Hisham’s first thoughts were for his friends, then for his parents who were thousands of miles away. He has demonstrated remarkable courage, resilience and fortitude – even a sense of humor – even as the reality of his paralysis sets in,” the fundraising page, which was set up on Saturday, states.
Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad are childhood friends who graduated from a private Quaker school in the West Bank and now attend colleges in the eastern U.S. The 20-year-olds were visiting Awartani’s relatives in Burlington for the Thanksgiving break. They were walking to the house of Hisham’s grandmother for dinner when they were shot in an unprovoked attack, the family said.
The young men were speaking in a mix of English and Arabic and two of them were also wearing the black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves when they were shot, Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said. Authorities are investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime.
“In a cruelly ironic twist, Hisham’s parents had recommended he not return home over winter break, suggesting he would be safer in the US with his grandmother,” the fundraising page states. “Burlington is a second home to Hisham, who has spent summers and happy holidays with his family there. It breaks our hearts that these young men did not find safety in his home away from home.”
All three were seriously injured. Abdalhamid was released from the hospital last week.
The suspected gunman, Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arrested the following day at his Burlington apartment, where he answered the door with his hands raised and told federal agents he had been waiting for them. Eaton has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder and is currently being held without bail.
The shooting came as threats against Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities have increased across the U.S. in the weeks since the the Israel-Hamas war erupted in early October.
Awartani, who speaks seven languages, is pursuing a dual degree in math and archaeology at Brown University, where he is also a teaching assistant, the fundraising page said. He told his college professors that he is determined to start the next semester on time, according to the fundraiser.
“We, his family, believe that Hisham will change the world,” the fundraising page states. “He’ll change the world through his spirit, his mind and his compassion for those much more vulnerable than himself, especially the thousands of dead in Gaza and many more struggling to survive the devastating humanitarian crisis unfolding there.”
