One of the three young men shot in Burlington this week has been released from the hospital, while the other two remain hospitalized due to injuries sustained in the attack on Saturday. Police say the three 20-year-old college students, two Palestinian American and one Palestinian, were shot by a 48-year-old white man.
Kinnan Abdalhamid was released from the University of Vermont Medical Center on Tuesday, according to a statement from his parents that was shared by the Institute for Middle East Understanding.
鈥淲e are extremely relieved that Kinnan has been released from the hospital. Right now, he is still in pain and recovering. Our priority is his well-being,鈥� the statement said.
The other two young men, Hisham Awartani and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, are still hospitalized. Awartani had surgery on Wednesday to reconstruct his thumb and clavicle that were injured by the bullets, said Rich Price, Awartani鈥檚 uncle.
鈥淭he surgery was successful,鈥� Price said during a phone interview on Thursday. 鈥淭hey continue to be remarkably strong and resilient. It's also been quite a traumatizing experience.鈥�
Awartani, who was also hit in the spine, might not be able to walk again, his mother told NPR on Monday.
Price had been hosting Abdalhamid, Awartani and Ali Ahmad in Burlington over their Thanksgiving break. The three 20-year-olds grew up together in the West Bank and now attend different colleges in the U.S.
On Saturday night, after returning from a bowling birthday party for Price鈥檚 twins, the three young men took a walk around the neighborhood. Two of them were wearing traditional Palestinian scarves, and they were all speaking a mix of English and Arabic. During the walk, a man stepped from a porch, and without saying a word, shot all three of them, court records say.
Police arrested Jason Eaton, 48, on Sunday for allegedly shooting them. Eaton pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempted second degree murder on Monday. He鈥檚 been held without bail at Northwest State Correctional Facility, according to the Department of Corrections鈥� jail tracker.
Abdalhamid, in an interview Wednesday with the New York Times, said , where he grew up.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just kind of disheartening that now I feel like this is kind of shattering that image,鈥� Abdalhamid told the New York Times.
The victims鈥� families and civil rights organizations are calling on law enforcement officials to file hate crime charges against Eaton. Chittenden County states鈥� attorney Sarah George said on Monday there wasn鈥檛 enough evidence yet to bring that charge.
Burlington police say the investigation into the shooting is on-going. On Thursday, Chief Jon Muard told that federal law enforcement officials were helping Burlington police 鈥渃omb through鈥� Eaton鈥檚 electronic devices, including cell phones, an iPad and back-up hard drives.
鈥淭his is a slower part,鈥� Muard told the TV station. 鈥淚 know this isn鈥檛 necessarily what some folks want to hear, people want answers now, but I don鈥檛 expect anything imminently.鈥�
The next court hearing in Eaton鈥檚 case is scheduled for Dec. 18.
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