A gunman accused of shooting three Palestinian students at a Thanksgiving event on a college campus in the USA has been seized by police.

Suspect Jason J. Eaton, 48, is said to have gunned down all three with a pistol outside the University of Vermont in the city of Burlington, USA, on Sunday, 26th November.

Police named the students as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, all aged 20.

Eaton is understood to have shot the friends as they visited a relative’s home near the campus.

Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said that two of the victims are in stable condition, while the third suffered “much more serious injuries”.

Two of the students were wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves when they were shot.

All three had been students at a Quaker school in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

They had been continuing their studies at Brown University, Haverford College, and Trinity College.

Media revealed that they were confronted by Eaton when they were walking during a visit to the home of one of the victim’s relatives.

Murad said: “Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled.

“All three victims were struck, two in their torsos and one in the lower extremities.”

The police immediately responded to the scene following the attack, said media.

The victim’s families urged police to treat the shooting as a hate crime and said: “We will not be comfortable until the shooter is brought to justice.

“We need to ensure that our children are protected, and this heinous crime is not repeated. No family should ever have to endure this pain or agony.

“Our children are dedicated students who deserve to be able to focus on their studies and building their futures.”

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

“And I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if it’s proven.”

Former presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders, 82, said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter: “It is shocking and deeply upsetting that three young Palestinians were shot here in Burlington, Vermont.

“Hate has no place here, or anywhere. I look forward to a full investigation. My thoughts are with them and their families.”

Eaton is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, 27th November.