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Tahseen Ali Ahmad, age 20, who attends Trinity College in Hartford, was one of three men of the same age shot outside of a house in Burlington, Vermont on Sunday, Nov. 26, the school announced.
Ali Ahmad and the two other men — Kinnan Abdalhamid and Hisham Awartani, also of Palestinian descent — were lifelong friends visiting a relative’s house near the University of Vermont's campus for the Thanksgiving holiday, according to the AP.
Two of them were speaking in Arabic and wore keffiyehs, traditional Palestinian headscarves, when the shooting occurred, seriously injuring all three.
Ali Ahmad studies mathematics and IT at Trinity College, Time reported, and although he was one of two shot in the torso, a school representative who visited Ali Ahmad said he was in stable condition.
“Words cannot express how disturbing this news has been,” wrote Joanne Berger-Sweeney, President and Trinity College Professor of Neuroscience.
In addition to promoting resources at the school to help students grappling with how to deal with knowledge of the attack, Berger-Sweeney confirmed that the school will continue its plans to hold a vigil on Wednesday, Nov. 29, which will honor the lives lost in the Israel-Hamas war.
“This vigil takes on a new meaning for our community,” she added, “as a show of support for Tahseen and his friends.”
The shooting, which is being investigated by the US Department of Justice as a potential hate crime, reflects the rise of Islamophobic and anti-Arab incidents that have occurred in the US since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
“While the situation in Burlington continues to be investigated, I ask that we all recognize that hate-motivated violence is wrong,” Berger-Sweeney concluded.
“It is our duty to continue to respect one another, to engage in civil discourse and thoughtful dialogue, to seek peaceful resolutions when they can be reached, and to use what we learn from this moment to shape our world and our interactions with others.”
Abdalhamid is expected to make a full recovery, according to Time; Awartani may not walk again due to a bullet lodged in his spine. No further information has been provided regarding the extent of Ali Ahmad's injuries.
Jason J. Eaton, age 48, who was arrested for the shooting, pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder on Monday, Nov. 27.
He is being held without bail.
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