JewishStatusOpen the app

Jewish News 24 · Sep 14, 2026

Jewish News 24 — photo status

A Vermont man accused of shooting three Palestinian college students in 2023 told authorities Monday he was acting on orders from the CIA and Mossad and said he received messages through an FM radio. Jason Eaton, who is on trial for attempted murder, has made the claims central to his insanity defense. He also said god commanded him to protect his Jewish neighbors. The three students — Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Aliahmad and Kinnan Abdalhamid — were 20 when they were shot while walking near Eaton’s home shortly after Thanksgiving in 2023. The shooting, which came weeks after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, prompted calls for a hate-crime investigation. No hate-crime charges were filed as prosecutors examined whether the attack was motivated by anti-Palestinian bias, Eaton’s mental state or other factors.

A Vermont man accused of shooting three Palestinian college students in 2023 told authorities Monday he was acting on orders from the CIA and Mossad and said he received messages through an FM radio. Jason Eaton, who is on trial for attempted murder, has made the claims central to his insanity defense. He also said god commanded him to protect his Jewish neighbors. The three students — Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Aliahmad and Kinnan Abdalhamid — were 20 when they were shot while walking near Eaton’s home shortly after Thanksgiving in 2023. The shooting, which came weeks after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, prompted calls for a hate-crime investigation. No hate-crime charges were filed as prosecutors examined whether the attack was motivated by anti-Palestinian bias, Eaton’s mental state or other factors.

Watch in the app All of Jewish News 24's statuses

More from Jewish News 24