Three Palestinian students shot in USA
Three Palestinian men are shot on their way to dinner in the US state. According to reports, the perpetrator fires without saying a word. The victims are taken to a university hospital - two are in stable condition.
Three Palestinian students attending US colleges have been shot in Burlington in the US state of Vermont. They are being treated for their injuries, according to the students' former school in the West Bank. The Ramallah Friends School announced in a Facebook post that three of its graduates had been shot near the University of Vermont campus. According to the school, all survived, but with varying degrees of injuries. Police said they had not identified or arrested the shooter.
Several US media outlets , citing police, reported that a white man had approached the victims with a handgun and fired the shots without saying anything. Two of the students were wearing traditional Palestinian scarves. The group spoke in Arabic. According to some media reports, they were on their way to a dinner with relatives. After the attack, they were taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center for treatment.
"Hate crime" as a motive?
According to the police, two of the victims are in a stable condition, while the third suffered "much more serious injuries". Two of the men were US citizens, the third had a valid residence permit. According to reports, they were all graduates of the Ramallah Friends School in the West Bank, which is run by Quakers. They continued their education at various institutes in the USA.
According to the authorities, nothing is yet known about the perpetrator's motive, but it could possibly be a case of hate crime. In such crimes, perpetrators act out of anti-Semitic, racist, sexist, xenophobic or queer-hostile motives. According to US media, the FBI has announced that it is "ready to investigate". The federal agency is heavily involved in hate crime investigations in the USA.
Bernie Sanders, who represents Vermont in the US Senate, said via X that it was shocking and deeply disturbing that three young Palestinians were shot here in Burlington, Vermont. "Hate has no place here or anywhere," Sanders said. He expects "a full investigation". His thoughts are with the victims and their families.
Despite the ongoing investigation, some news outlets suggest that the shooter, reportedly a white man, approached the victims without uttering a word and fired multiple shots, potentially targeting the Palestinians due to their nationality or traditionally embroidered scarves. Bernie Sanders, representing Vermont in the US Senate, expressed his deep concern over the incident, calling it shocking and demanding a thorough investigation.
Source: www.ntv.de
