Vermont Jury Convicted Jason Eaton in Shooting Case
A jury found Jason Eaton guilty of three counts of attempted second-degree murder after a one-week trial in Burlington.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Violence
A Vermont jury has convicted Jason Eaton of three counts of attempted second-degree murder for a 2023 shooting on North Prospect Street in Burlington. The jury reached the verdict after deliberating for less than two hours.
Why it matters
The verdict follows a trial that examined the shooting of three men, an incident that occurred amidst heightened global tensions. The proceedings addressed the defendant's plea of insanity, which the jury ultimately rejected.
The jury returned a guilty verdict on three counts of attempted second-degree murder after deliberating for less than two hours. The trial concluded after one week of proceedings in Burlington.
The players
Jason Eaton
He is the defendant who was convicted on three counts of attempted second-degree murder.
Hisham Awartani
He is a shooting victim who sustained a spinal cord injury that resulted in permanent paralysis.
Sarah George
She is the Chittenden County State's Attorney who determined the evidence did not support a hate crime charge.
Kinnan Abdalhamid
He is one of the three men shot by Eaton on North Prospect Street in Burlington.
Tahseen Aliahmad
He is one of the three men shot by Eaton in November 2023.
The details
Jason Eaton shot Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Aliahmad after stepping off his porch on North Prospect Street. The trial featured testimony from all three survivors and audio recordings of a 911 call made during the event.
Timeline
October 7, 2023: Hamas forces attacked Israel.
November 2023: Jason Eaton shot three men in Burlington.
May 2026: Hisham Awartani graduated from Brown University.
September 2026: A Vermont jury convicted Jason Eaton.
Legal Context
The case highlights how local judicial processes handle violent incidents occurring during periods of heightened international instability. This conviction follows a pattern set by recent legal proceedings addressing the impact of global geopolitical conflict on local public safety.
The guilty verdict concludes a major criminal trial that previously centered safety concerns in the Burlington area. Residents now look toward the sentencing phase to finalize the legal outcome of the shooting.
The takeaway
The jury's rejection of the insanity defense serves as the definitive legal conclusion to the trial proceedings. Hisham Awartani now looks toward his future, with plans to pursue graduate studies in archaeology following a year in the West Bank.
Further reading
For more information on similar legal proceedings, read the latest coverage on Violence.
Source note: This article includes information reported by VTDigger.
