Burlington, Vermont, shooting live updates: Three Palestinian men shot on their way to dinner

“We are aware of the incident in Burlington and are working with our state and local partners in Vermont,” a spokesperson for the FBI's field office in Albany, New York, said. “If, in the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate.”

The FBI said it is aware of the incident in Burlington where three Palestinian men were shot.

Burlington shooting victims were wearing keffiyehs and speaking Arabic when shot, advocacy organization says The three shooting victims were wearing keffiyehs and speaking Arabic when a man harassed and shot them, according to the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee.

A keffiyeh is a traditional scarf worn by people in parts of the Middle East. The scarf has become a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.

The victims were identified by the ADC as students, all 20 years old. They've all survived the shooting, but two of them are currently in the intensive care unit and one "has sustained very critical and serious injuries," according to the ADC.

"After reviewing the initial information provided we have reason to believe this shooting occurred because the victims are Arab," the ADC said in a statement.

The students were spending Thanksgiving break together, wearing keffiyehs and speaking Arabic when a man approached them, according to the ADC.

"A man shouted and harassed the victims, then proceeded to shoot them," the organization said. "ADC calls on law enforcement in Vermont to investigate this shooting as a hate crime. In addition, ADC has reached out to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to also call on an immediate hate crimes investigation."

“We are praying for a full recovery of the victims, and will stand by to support the families in any way that is needed," ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub said. "Given the information collected and provided, it is clear that the hate was a motivating factor in this shooting, and we call on law enforcement to investigate it as such. The surge in anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment we are experiencing is unprecedented, and this is another example of that hate turning violent."

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