No suspects have been identified so far in a Vermont shooting Saturday night of three university students of Palestinian-Arab descent. 

The victims survived, but two are reportedly in the ICU, with one of them suffering “serious injuries,” a statement from the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee said Sunday. The full extent of the victims’ injuries is unknown.

America’s largest Muslim civil rights group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, is offering a $10,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of whoever is behind the shooting. 

CAIR is also calling on state and federal police to “investigate a possible bias motive for the shooting,” citing the head of Palestinian Mission to the UK, Husam Zomlot, who said victims were on their way to a dinner with family in Burlington, Vermont, and that they were wearing Palestinian scarves when they were shot. 

“They are critically injured,” Mr. Zomlot wrote on X of the three victims, identifying them as Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ali, and Kenan Abdulhamid. 

“The hate crimes against Palestinians must stop,” he said. “Palestinians everywhere need protection.” 

There is “reason to believe this shooting occurred because the victims are Arab,” the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee said. Two of the victims are American citizens and the third is a legal resident.

“The students gathered together to enjoy Thanksgiving break. According to the information provided, the three victims were wearing a Kuffiyeh and speaking Arabic. A man shouted and harassed the victims, then proceeded to shoot them,” the committee added, asking law enforcement to investigate the shooting as a hate crime.

Burlington’s chief of police, Jon Murad, said the shooting occurred about 6:25 p.m. Saturday near the University of Vermont campus. He said in a press statement released Sunday that police are searching for the shooter, and cautioned against jumping into any conclusions about the shooter’s motive.

“In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime,” Mr. Murad said. “I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if it’s proven.”

He added, “The fact is that we don’t yet know as much as we want to right now. But I urge the public to avoid making conclusions based on statements from uninvolved parties who know even less.”

In a statement released Sunday, the families of the three young men expressed their gratitude to the first responders who attended to them and called on city officials in Burlington to fully investigate what they said was a “horrific hate crime.”

“We need to ensure that our children are protected, and this heinous crime is not repeated,” they said. “No family should ever have to endure this pain and agony. Our children are dedicated students who deserve to be able to focus on their studies and building their futures.”

This is a developing story.