“We were terrified.” Biden comments on shooting of Palestinian students

US President Joe Biden said he and his wife Jill were terrified when they learned of the killing of three students of Palestinian origin, two of whom were American citizens, in the city of Burlington in the US state of Vermont on Saturday .

The US president added on his X-site account on Monday: “While we await further facts, we know this: There is absolutely no place for hate in America.”

He continued, “We join America in praying for their full recovery and stand ready to provide the federal resources needed to assist in the investigation.”

Jason Eaton, the prime suspect in the shooting deaths of the three students, pleaded not guilty during a court hearing to hear the memorandum of charges against him.

The judge decided to place the 48-year-old defendant in custody without bail.

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office confirmed that the investigation is ongoing to determine whether the incident was a hate crime related to events in the Middle East.

Burlington police said in a news release that Jason Eaton (48) was arrested Sunday afternoon, near the site of the attack, CNN reported Monday.

Authorities said Eaton lived in an apartment building across the street from the shooting scene, and a search of his home revealed evidence that gave investigators “probable reason to believe Eaton was the shooter.”

An authority source said that during a search of the suspect’s home, authorities found a “Ruger .380 semi-automatic pistol.”

According to the same source, the weapon will be transferred to a laboratory affiliated with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, to be examined and verified as to its conformity with the weapon used in the incident.

In statements released to the Daily Beast platform, the suspect’s mother, Mary Reed, expressed her shock at “the whole issue”, underlining that “Jason has faced many conflicts in his life, but he is a good and loving person”.

Reed said Eaton “previously suffered from depression and other mental health issues.”

She said her son, who worked several jobs and previously worked as an “assistant finance manager,” was “totally normal last Thanksgiving, and the family had a wonderful holiday together,” adding, “It was our best holiday in years. “

During the family’s Thanksgiving dinner, Reed said Eaton didn’t mention anything about the war between Israel and Hamas, adding that his son “is a very religious person, communicates with different religious figures and reads the Bible often.”

She added: “He, like all of us, believes the world is in chaos… He is a spiritual person,” adding: “I can’t believe he would do something like this.”

On Sunday, US police announced that some students were injured in a shooting in the city of Burlington on Saturday, indicating what appeared to be a “hate crime”.

Police described the shooter as a “white man armed with a gun,” adding that “without saying a word, he fired at least four shots and is believed to have fled on foot.”

The police statement said two of the victims were in stable condition, while the third suffered “more serious injuries”.

He noted that two students have U.S. citizenship and the third is a legal resident.

While there has been no official confirmation of the killer’s motives, police confirmed that two students were wearing the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh.

This occurred in the context of serious tensions and violence taking place on campuses and elsewhere in the United States, against the backdrop of the war between Israel and Hamas.