Vermont man convicted of attempted murder of Palestinian students

A jury in Vermont has convicted Jason Eaton of attempted murder following a 2023 shooting that targeted three Palestinian university students near the University of Vermont in Burlington. The attack left Hisham Awartani paralyzed from the waist down and caused injuries to Tahseen Aliahmad and Kinnan Abdalhamid.

During the trial, Eaton rejected a plea for an insanity defense. He claimed he was acting under orders from the CIA and Mossad, alleging they communicated instructions to him via FM radio. The court dismissed his defense, with prosecutors arguing that while Eaton may have personality disorders, he did not meet the legal definition of insanity.

Eaton now faces the possibility of life in prison. The incident, which occurred shortly after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, drew significant attention due to the victims' backgrounds and the nature of the unprovoked attack.