TRAGIC

Palestinian-American Student Shot in Vermont Is Now Paralyzed

Awartani suffered a broken clavicle, fractured thumb, and had “incomplete spinal surgery.”

Hisham Awartani, one of the three Palestinian college students shot in Vermont over the Thanksgiving weekend, is now paralyzed from the chest down, his family confirmed. Awartani, a junior at Brown University, was shot while walking with two friends in Burlington, suffering a broken clavicle and a fractured thumb. He had an “incomplete spinal surgery,” his family wrote, and is now paralyzed because of a bullet lodged in his spine. He will likely spend up to four weeks in spinal trauma care and attend extensive physical therapy after being released from the hospital. “We believe that Hisham will meet this challenge with the same determination I’ve witnessed this week,” Awartani’s mother wrote. “The fund will help cover costs associated with his rehabilitation, air travel of his family and expenses related to the adaptive needs of his new reality.”