American police have arrested a suspect who shot and injured three young men of Palestinian origin in the state of Vermont. He is a 48 year old man.
Authorities collected evidence during a search of the suspect’s apartment located in a building directly across the street from the scene of the shooting.
Aged 20, the victims were walking “when they found themselves confronted by a white man armed with a gun” Who “without speaking to them, fired at least four bullets before apparently fleeing on foot”, Burlington police said in a statement sent to AFP.
Two of the victims are in a “stable state” while the third “suffers more serious injuries”it is specified.
The young men were in the town of Burlington, 70 km from the Canadian border, to spend the Thanksgiving holidays.
“At this time, there is no additional information suggesting the suspect’s motive, such as statements or remarks,” police said. But according to its boss, Jon Murad, “In this charged moment, no one can look at this act without suspecting that this is a hate crime.”
During the attack, two of the victims wore the traditional keffiyeh, police detailed.
The war between Israel and Hamas is causing strong tensions across the country, and has led to an increase in anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim acts.