Hisham Awartani, a Palestinian-Irish-American college student, was tragically shot last month in an unprovoked attack in Burlington, Vermont. The horrific incident has left him paralyzed from the chest down.
Awartani, who is 20 years old and a junior at Brown University, was enjoying a walk with his childhood friends near the university campus when a man approached them and shot all three of them. Despite surviving the attack, Awartani may face permanent paralysis due to a lodged bullet in his spine. To support his medical expenses, his family has started a GoFundMe campaign.
Despite the grave prognosis, Awartani is displaying remarkable courage and resilience, much to the admiration of his family. At present, the fundraiser has achieved over $400,000, halfway to its goal.
The accused assailant, Jason J. Eaton, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder and is awaiting trial. Meanwhile, the FBI and Vermont authorities are investigating whether this was a hate crime.
It’s a disturbing example of the surge in violence directed at Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities in the U.S. since the Israel-Hamas war. The shooting happened during Awartani’s visit to his grandmother’s home in Vermont for Thanksgiving break from Brown University.