A Vermont jury decided Jason Eaton is criminally responsible for shooting three Palestinian American students in Burlington.
At a Glance
- Jurors convicted Eaton of three counts of attempted second-degree murder.
- The shooting happened on November 25, 2023, near his Burlington home.
- The jury rejected his insanity defense after a weeklong trial.
- One victim, Hisham Awartani, was left paralyzed from the waist down.
Jury Verdict Ends a Year of Questions
Jurors in Chittenden Superior criminal court found Jason Eaton guilty on three counts of attempted second-degree murder tied to the November 25, 2023 attack that wounded Palestinian American students Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Aliahmad, and Kinnan Abdalhamid.
Prosecutors said Eaton confronted the men near his Burlington apartment and opened fire. The verdict closed the core legal question in the trial: whether Eaton intended to kill when he shot them. The jury answered yes, beyond a reasonable doubt.
The court fight centered on responsibility, not identity. Prosecutors stuck to the elements of attempted murder, while the public debate often focused on motive and bias. The jury weighed the claims and found guilt.
Vermont law allows a not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity verdict when a mental disease prevents a person from understanding their acts. Jurors heard that defense and rejected it, concluding Eaton knew what he was doing when he fired at the students.
A man was convicted by a jury of attempted murder in the late 2023 shooting of three Palestinian American students in Vermont, two of whom were wounded and one was left paralyzed from the waist down, prosecutors said on Monday. https://t.co/7Y2ljHBdmj
— Reuters Legal (@ReutersLegal) September 22, 2026
What Happened on North Prospect Street
Trial coverage described the students walking and speaking Arabic near Eaton’s residence when he engaged them and then fired multiple rounds. Reporting cited evidence such as video that showed Eaton on his porch before he moved toward the men and drew a handgun.
Police arrested him soon after the attack, and he has been held since. The state said each count carried a potential life sentence, and a conviction could keep him in prison for decades.
The injuries were severe. Hisham Awartani was paralyzed from the waist down, according to prosecutors and family accounts reported by national outlets. The other two students suffered significant wounds but survived.
Their names appeared across outlets with minor spelling differences, a common issue in fast news cycles, but all consistently identified the same three victims. Their testimony and court presence grounded the case in lived harm and lasting medical needs.
Why Insanity Defenses Rarely Carry Juries
Insanity is a legal standard, not a medical label. Vermont puts the burden on the defense to prove a mental disease made the person unable to understand or control their actions at the time of the crime. Eaton’s team advanced that claim.
Prosecutors countered with evidence of purposeful conduct, including moving toward the victims, drawing a weapon, and firing at close range. Jurors sided with the state and held Eaton criminally accountable.
Coverage of the trial included Eaton’s reported claims about orders from intelligence services or divine commands, which defense experts linked to psychosis. That narrative can draw headlines, but jurors heard the full context and still found intent.
Hate-Crime Questions Versus Prosecutorial Strategy
Some readers asked why prosecutors filed no hate-crime charges. Prosecutors often charge the clearest path to a conviction first. Hate-crime counts require proof of bias motive on top of the underlying crime.
When the base charge is attempted murder with strong evidence of intent to kill, many offices focus on that core felony rather than risk a motive element that can be harder to prove in court. That strategy appears to have guided this case as well.
Jason Eaton, 51, was found guilty of three counts of attempted second-degree murder on September 21, 2026, for shooting three Pales-tinian college students in Burlington, Vermont, in November 2023. The jury rejected the defense argument that Eaton was not criminally responsible… pic.twitter.com/nfwGooEqlk
— TMJ News Network (@tmjnewsnetwork) September 22, 2026
The public square can drift toward identity politics and away from the narrow legal test. Courts do not grade feelings or headlines. They apply statutes, elements, and burdens.
This verdict reflects that frame: the state proved attempted murder; the defense failed to prove legal insanity; the jury issued a clean, unanimous decision.
Appeals can follow, but the trial court result is clear. A young man remains paralyzed, and two others carry scars. Accountability, at least at this stage, has landed.
Sources:
usatoday.com, vtdigger.org, reuters.com, apnews.com, vermontpublic.org
