Current:Home > reviewsMore than $950,000 raised for Palestinian student paralyzed after being shot in Vermont -MoneySpot
More than $950,000 raised for Palestinian student paralyzed after being shot in Vermont
View
Date:2025-04-20 16:49:46
More than $950,000 has been raised for the recovery of one of the three college students of Palestinian descent who was shot in Vermont and is currently paralyzed from the chest down, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his family.
One of the bullets that hit Hisham Awartani on Nov. 25 is lodged in his spine, his family said.
“Hisham’s first thoughts were for his friends, then for his parents who were thousands of miles away. He has demonstrated remarkable courage, resilience and fortitude - even a sense of humor - even as the reality of his paralysis sets in,” the fundraising page, which was set up on Saturday, states.
Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad are childhood friends who graduated from a private Quaker school in the West Bank and now attend colleges in the eastern U.S. The 20-year-olds were visiting Awartani’s relatives in Burlington for the Thanksgiving break. They were walking to the house of Hisham’s grandmother for dinner when they were shot in an unprovoked attack, the family said.
The young men were speaking in a mix of English and Arabic and two of them were also wearing the black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves when they were shot, Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said. Authorities are investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime.
“In a cruelly ironic twist, Hisham’s parents had recommended he not return home over winter break, suggesting he would be safer in the US with his grandmother,” the fundraising page states. “Burlington is a second home to Hisham, who has spent summers and happy holidays with his family there. It breaks our hearts that these young men did not find safety in his home away from home.”
All three were seriously injured. Abdalhamid was released from the hospital last week.
The suspected gunman, Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arrested the following day at his Burlington apartment, where he answered the door with his hands raised and told federal agents he had been waiting for them. Eaton has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder and is currently being held without bail.
The shooting came as threats against Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities have increased across the U.S. in the weeks since the the Israel-Hamas war erupted in early October.
Awartani, who speaks seven languages, is pursuing a dual degree in math and archaeology at Brown University, where he is also a teaching assistant, the fundraising page said. He told his college professors that he is determined to start the next semester on time, according to the fundraiser.
“We, his family, believe that Hisham will change the world,” the fundraising page states. “He’ll change the world through his spirit, his mind and his compassion for those much more vulnerable than himself, especially the thousands of dead in Gaza and many more struggling to survive the devastating humanitarian crisis unfolding there.”
_____
Rathke reported from Marshfield, Vt.
veryGood! (3889)
Related
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Born after Superstorm Sandy’s destruction, 2 big flood control projects get underway in New Jersey
- Hyundai is rapidly building its first US electric vehicle plant, with production on track for 2025
- Man indicted on murder charge in connection with disappearance of girl more than 20 years ago
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Man freed after being trapped in New York City jewelry store vault overnight for 10 hours
- Abracadabra! The tale of 'The World’s Greatest Magician' who vanished from history
- Mississippi should set minimum wage higher than federal level, says Democrat running for governor
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Martha Stewart says she still dresses like a teenager: Why it matters
Ranking
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- 'Avoid all robots': Food delivery bomb threat leads to arrest at Oregon State University
- Scholastic backtracks, saying it will stop separating diverse books for fairs in 2024
- Mexico deploys 300 National Guard troopers to area where 13 police officers were killed in an ambush
- Sam Taylor
- Michelle Williams' Impression of Justin Timberlake Is Tearin' Up the Internet
- The downsides of self-checkout, and why retailers aren't expected to pull them out anytime soon
- Scholastic backtracks, saying it will stop separating diverse books for fairs in 2024
Recommendation
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
Nashville police chief's son, wanted in police officers shooting, found dead: 'A tragic end'
A manufacturing company in Ohio has found success with a 4-day workweek
Live updates | Israel’s bombardment in Gaza surges, reducing buildings to rubble
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
Flights delayed and canceled at Houston’s Hobby Airport after 2 private jets clip wings on airfield
A trial begins for a Hawaii couple accused of stealing identities of dead babies
'A Christmas Story' house sold in Cleveland ahead of film's 40th anniversary. Here's what's next.