11/27/23 3:22 a.m. UPDATE: Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad announced a suspect has been arrested. Click here for details.
The three students of Palestinian descent who were shot Saturday evening in Burlington, Vermont, have been identified by their families.
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In a joint statement issued Sunday through the Institute for Middle East Understanding, the families of Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad said they "are devastated by the horrific news that our children were targeted and shot in Burlington, VT."
"At this time, our primary concern is their full recovery and that they receive the critical medical support they need to survive," the statement read. "We are extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of our children."
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The families said the victims are "dedicated students who deserve to be able to focus on their studies and building their futures."
According to NBC News, Awartani is a student at Brown University, Abdalhamid is a student at Haverford College, and Ahmed is a student at Trinity College.
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Haverford College released a message from its president and dean on Sunday, saying the three are lifelong friends.
The victims' families are calling on law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation, including treating the triple shooting as a hate crime.
"We will not be comfortable until the shooter is brought to justice. We need to ensure that our children are protected, and this heinous crime is not repeated," their statement read. "No family should ever have to endure this pain and agony."
The families also said they are grateful to the doctors and nurses working tirelessly to save their children's lives and to city officials who are giving their full attention to "this horrific hate crime" in the pursuit of justice.
The statement concluded with the families saying, "We appreciate the outpouring of care from our community. We ask that no one makes donations to fundraisers unless specifically organized by our families. At this time, we ask for privacy to give us the space to provide our children with the support they need to get through this tragedy."
The three young men were shot on North Prospect Street near the University of Vermont around 6:25 p.m. Saturday, according to Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad. Two of the victims were in stable condition on Sunday, but the third victim suffered "much more serious injuries."
According to a preliminary investigation, the city's police chief says the three men, all age 20, were visiting the home of one of the victim’s relatives and were walking when they were confronted by a white man with a handgun.
“Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled,” Murad said in a news release. “All three victims were struck, two in their torsos and one in the lower extremities.”
Murad said all three men are of Palestinian descent. Two are U.S. citizens and one is a legal resident. Two of the men were wearing the black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves and they were speaking Arabic.
The shooter has not yet been identified or apprehended, but Burlington's police chief said that is their top priority now that the victims are all safe and receiving medical care.
Reaction has poured in from politicians and civil rights groups, with calls for an immediate hate crimes investigation.
Mayor Miro Weinberger said the City of Burlington has zero tolerance for hate crimes and will work relentlessly to bring the shooter to justice, while calling on Burlingtonians to stand together to support these victims, their families and communities with love and kindness.
