The Vermont man accused of shooting three Palestinian college students had been fired from his financial services job just weeks earlier — because it was revealed that he had previously served as a Boy Scout leader.
Jason Eaton, 48, of Burlington, who pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder in Saturday’s shooting, was terminated as a sales assistant at CUSO Financial Services on Nov. 8 after working there for less than a year, the company said Monday, according to The Boston Globe.
“We are shocked by the shooting and are cooperating with law enforcement as they investigate. We have no further comment,” said a CUSO spokesperson.
He declined to say why Eaton was let go.
Eaton’s recent employment history also includes stints at Ameritrade in Fayetteville, New York, where he worked for less than two years, and at Edward Jones in East Syracuse, New York, where he worked for less than a year, according to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority record.
Jason Eaton, 48, was arrested Sunday afternoon after he was identified as a suspect. Burlington Police College students Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ali, and Kenan Abdalhamid were shot while walking down a street in Vermont on Saturday. via REUTERS
Eaton also lists additional jobs on his LinkedIn profile that he’s held over the years, including a farmer and handyman, night cleaner at a noodle shop and “social entrepreneur.”
Under “Volunteer Work,” Eaton wrote that he worked as a den leader with the Boy Scouts of America from 2017 to 2022.
The Boy Scouts of America confirmed to the Globe that Eaton had served as assistant scoutmaster at the now-defunct troop in Syracuse, and was last registered with the organization in New York in 2021 when he voluntarily ceased membership.
Eaton is not currently a member of the Boy Scouts of America, the group said.
“Mr. Eaton’s alleged actions do not reflect the values of Scouting. Upon learning of his arrest, he is prohibited from enrolling in Scouting in any capacity and will be proactively placed in the Volunteer Screening Database, permanently barring his future enrollment or participation,” said The scout in the statement.
The suspect’s mother said that while she had previously struggled with depression, she seemed better on Thanksgiving. via REUTERS
Eaton was arrested Sunday after allegedly shooting three students of Palestinian descent, all in their 20s, as they walked Saturday to a family dinner in Burlington.
The attack is being investigated by federal and state authorities as a possible hate crime.
The victims have been identified as childhood friends from the West Bank — Hisham Awartani, a student at Brown University, Tahseen Ali Ahmad, a student at Trinity University, and Kinnan Abdalhamid, a student at Haverford College.
“They stated that the person didn’t make any comments to them and just approached them as they were walking down the street, basically minding their own business,” Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad told reporters.
The students spoke in a mix of English and Arabic — and two of them were even wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves when they were shot.
Eaton is being held without bail. via REUTERS
Two of the victims are in stable condition, while a third is seriously injured and faces a long recovery from spinal injuries, according to family members.
Eaton moved to Burlington that summer from Syracuse and legally purchased the Ruger .380 handgun used in the shooting, Murad told reporters.
“I was just surprised by the whole thing,” he said. “I can’t believe he would do something like this.”
Federal agents found a handgun and a loaded five-round magazine in Eaton’s bedroom closet, according to a police affidavit. Eaton came to the door holding his hand, palm up and told officers he had been waiting for them.
His mother, Mary Reed, told The Daily Beast Monday that her son had previously struggled with depression, but described him as a “good, loving person” who seemed to be doing better over the Thanksgiving holiday.
“I was just surprised by the whole thing,” he said. “I can’t believe he would do something like this.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
