A Vermont jury on Monday convicted Jason Eaton, 51, of attempted murder for shooting three Palestinian college students as they walked near his Burlington home in November 2023. The attack left one victim paralyzed and sparked national concern during the early weeks of the Israel‑Hamas war.

The jury deliberated for several hours before rejecting Eaton’s insanity defense, which centered on claims that he believed the CIA, Mossad, and God were sending him orders through FM radio broadcasts. Eaton did not dispute firing the shots but pleaded not guilty, arguing he was suffering from a psychotic disorder.

Eaton was taken into custody following the verdict and will remain jailed until sentencing. He showed no reaction as the decision was read. Two of the victims, Hisham Awartani and Tahseen Aliahmad, embraced supporters in the courtroom.

Awartani, Aliahmad, and their friend Kinnan Abdalhamid — all 20 at the time — were visiting Burlington for Thanksgiving weekend. The three men, childhood friends from Ramallah who were attending colleges in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, were walking near the University of Vermont campus when Eaton approached them without speaking and opened fire at close range.

Awartani was shot in the chest; the bullet ricocheted off his scapula and caused permanent paralysis from the waist down. Aliahmad was struck in the collarbone, and Abdalhamid was shot in the right buttock. Two of the men were wearing keffiyehs, traditional Palestinian scarves, and they had been speaking English and Arabic as they walked.

The shooting prompted calls for a hate‑crime investigation, though prosecutors ultimately did not file hate‑crime charges, citing uncertainty over Eaton’s motives and mental state.

During the trial, defense attorneys argued Eaton had become delusional after losing his job at a credit union two weeks before the shooting. They said he believed he was receiving coded messages from intelligence agencies through a local NPR station. Prosecutors countered with expert testimony that Eaton understood his actions and intentionally targeted the victims.

Investigators found three shotguns and a Ruger .380‑caliber handgun in Eaton’s apartment. Testing confirmed the handgun was used in the attack; Eaton had purchased it seven months earlier.

Witness Jacob Pyne, who lived in the same building as Eaton, testified that he heard multiple gunshots and later found two of the wounded men calling for help. He provided blankets and called 911.

All three victims, now 23, testified during the trial, describing their visit to Awartani’s grandmother, a family birthday celebration, and the moments leading up to the shooting.

Eaton faces a potential life sentence. A date for sentencing has not yet been set.

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