Three men of Palestinian descent were shot and injured, one seriously, in Vermont in a possible hate crime.
Officers were searching for the suspect after the attack around 6.25pm Saturday near the University of Vermont campus, Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said in a statement Sunday.
Two of the men were in stable condition and the other suffered “much more serious injuries," Mr Murad said.
Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ali, and Kenan Abdulhamid, all aged 20, were walking during a visit to the home of one of the victim's relatives when they were confronted by a white man with a handgun, police said.
“Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled," Mr Murad said. “All three victims were struck, two in their torsos and one in the lower extremities."
The victims are of Palestinian descent and two of the men were wearing black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves, Mr Murad said.
Mr Murad, who expressed sympathies for the victims and their families, said there is no additional information to suggest a motive.
“In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime,” he said.
However, he added: “The fact is that we don't yet know as much as we want to right now.
“But I urge the public to avoid making conclusions based on statements from uninvolved parties who know even less."
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee said there is “reason to believe this shooting occurred because the victims are Arab."
A man shouted and harassed the victims, who were conversing in Arabic, then proceeded to shoot them, the committee's statement said.
The White House said President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting and would continue to receive law enforcement updates.
Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent, also denounced the shooting.
"It is shocking and deeply upsetting that three young Palestinians were shot here in Burlington, VT. Hate has no place here, or anywhere. I look forward to a full investigation," Mr Sanders said in a statement.
