By Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First
A Burlington man is facing criminal charges today in connection with the shooting of three Palestinian college students in Burlington over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Jason J. Eaton, 48, of North Prospect Street was jailed at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans on state charges of attempted second degree murder charges pending his arraignment in Vermont Superior Court, prison records show.
A press conference open to the public via Zoom will be aired at noon today. The press conference will be live streamed on Town Meeting TV.
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Burlington Police has classified the case as three counts of aggravated assault, according to its news release Monday.
Special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were conducting a canvass near the shooting at 69 North Prospect Street when they encountered Eaton, who lives in an apartment at the address about 3:38 p.m. Sunday, police said.
The ATF agents detained Eaton based on his conduct and eventually a search warrant was obtained for his apartment, police said.
The court-ordered search began shortly before 10 p.m. and netted investigators evidence that linked Eaton to the shooting, police said. It is believed that guns and other relevant evidence was seized.
Any guns seized will be matched by the ATF against shell casings and other evidence that police recovered at the scene.
A video arraignment from the prison is planned at Vermont Superior Court in Burlington for 10:30 a.m. today.
It is unknown if the U.S. Attorney’s Office will file federal charges, but this is the kind of case that the U.S. Department of Justice likes to get involved in when an arrest is made.
Burlington Police, the ATF, and others are also expected to hold a news conference later today.