Three Palestinian students shot in US in suspected hate crime

Three Palestinian college students were reportedly shot in Burlington City, Vermont, US on Saturday evening in what is suspected to be a hate crime incident.

The students were walking on Prospect Street after visiting a relative in Burlington during the Thanksgiving holiday when they were allegedly confronted by a white man armed with a handgun. The victims, two of whom are US citizens and one a legal resident, were taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center for medical treatment, according to a police statement issued on Sunday.

'Two are stable, while one has sustained much more serious injuries', the police reported. The assailant, without uttering a word, reportedly discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled on foot. Notably, two of the students were wearing keffiyehs, traditional Palestinian scarves.

Authorities stated that there is no additional information to suggest the suspect's motive. Detectives have recovered ballistic evidence from the shooting scene, which is to be submitted to a federal database, according to Burlington police.

The FBI announced on Sunday that it is prepared to investigate the incident. The victims' families, in a joint statement, have urged law enforcement to investigate the attack as a hate crime.

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