Vermont man convicted of attempted murder of three Palestinian students

A Vermont jury convicted James Eaton, 51, of attempted murder for shooting three Palestinian college students in November 2023 near the University of Vermont campus. The attack left Hisham Awartani paralyzed and wounded his friends, Tahseen Aliahmad and Kinnan Abdalhamid. Eaton's defense claimed he was acting on orders from US and Israeli intelligence and was suffering from a delusional disorder, but the jury rejected his insanity plea. The victims' families stated the verdict affirms Eaton's responsibility for the shooting, which they described as a hate crime fueled by prejudice. Eaton faces up to life in prison, with sentencing pending.

A jury in Vermont has convicted Jason Eaton of attempted murder for shooting three Palestinian college students in November 2023. The attack, which occurred near the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, left one student paralyzed and two others wounded. Eaton's defense argued he was not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming he suffered from a delusional psychotic disorder and believed he was acting under orders from intelligence agencies and God. Prosecutors countered that a state psychiatrist found Eaton did not have a mental disease or defect and that evidence showed intent to kill. The jury rejected the insanity defense after deliberating for several hours. Eaton faces up to life in prison and is being held pending sentencing.