Jason J. Eaton Shooting Suspect: Mom Breaks Silence After Opening Fire on Three Students of Palestinian Descent

Mother of suspect arrested in connection with shooting of three Palestinian college students speaks out after son's arrest.

The mother of a suspect arrested in connection with the shooting of three Palestinian college students has spoken out following her son's arrest.

Jason J. Eaton, 48, was taken into custody by officers in Vermont after a search of his home on Sunday afternoon and appeared in court on Monday.

Eaton pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempted murder at his arraignment and was ordered to be held without bail until his next court appearance, according to CBS affiliate WCAX-TV.

Eaton's mother, Mary Reed, claimed that the family 'had their best Thanksgiving in years' days before the arrest, according to Daily Beast.

She said: "I am just shocked by the whole thing."

Eaton lived near where the three victims were shot while visiting one of the groups' grandmothers for Thanksgiving, police said.

The three students were approached by a man with a handgun who opened fire on them without speaking, police said.

Hisham Awartani, a student at Brown University in Rhode Island; Tahseen Ahmed, a student at Trinity College in Connecticut; and Kinnan Abdalhamid, a student at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, were shot near the University of Vermont in Burlington.

All three men are of Palestinian descent and two of them are US citizens while the third is a legal resident.

Two of the students, all aged 20, were wearing keffiyeh - a traditional scarf - and speaking a mixture of Arabic and English when they were attacked.

Police said the three men were walking on Prospect Street street when they were confronted.

Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said: "The suspect was on foot in the area.

"Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled on foot."

The US government and US attorney in Vermont are looking into the shooting and whether it was a hate crime.

Demonstrations have taken place across the country as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues into its seventh week.

"In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime,' Murad added.

All three victims received medical attention and survived the attack.

Two of the men are in stable condition although the third man sustained more serious injuries, Murad said.

Tensions over the conflict have risen across the US since it began in October and especially over the past week.

The US Sun reported on the arrests of several pro-Palestinian protestors who glued themselves to the street on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

Over a dozen activists momentarily interrupted the event as they held banners that said "Genocide than, Genocide Now," "Free Palestine," and "Land Back."

Pro-Palestine and Pro-Israel groups have clashed across the country through cities and college campuses.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a two-day extension of their current humanitarian truce that has freed hostages and prisoners on both sides.

The ceasefire was due to end today before the extension was announced by Qatar.

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