Palestinian student shooting suspect Jason Eaton pleads not guilty as mom reveals his mental health struggles

A 48-year-old man pleaded not guilty to attempted murder in the shooting of three Palestinian college students in Burlington, Vermont, on Saturday night — as the alleged gunman’s mother revealed he had previously struggled with depression.

Jason Eaton, 48, was taken into custody Sunday afternoon after he was identified as a suspect. He pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder in the second degree on Monday and is being held without bail.

Eaton, who lives in an apartment building near where the triple shooting happened, had been in “such a good mood” during Thanksgiving festivities with his family just days before, his mother told the Daily Beast.

“Jason has had a lot of struggles in his life but he is such a kind and loving person,” his mother, Mary Reed, told the outlet on Monday.

“I am just shocked by the whole thing,” she said.

Hisham Awartani, a Brown University student, Tahseen Ali Ahmad, a Trinity University student, and Kinnan Abdalhamid, a Haverford College student, were all shot Saturday as they walked to a family dinner, police and Arab American officials said.

Two of the victims are in stable condition while the third is seriously injured, according to police, who are still investigating whether the shooting was a hate crime amid growing Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian rhetoric in the US and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war overseas.

Eaton’s mother said he previously suffered from depression and other mental health issues but he had seemed better when she saw him just days before the shooting.

“It was the best Thanksgiving we had in years,” Reed said. “We were all together.”

During the holiday, Eaton made no mention of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, his mother said, noting that her son is a “very religious person” who connects with different religious figures and often reads the Bible.

“He, like all of us, thinks the world is a mess,” Reed added. “He is a spiritual person.”

His mother said she left him with a Christmas tree to decorate and assumed he spent the weekend preparing for the upcoming holiday. She said she only learned of the shooting early Monday when her daughter came over and woke her up.

“I just don’t understand,” Reed said. “I can’t believe he would do something like this.”

Police detained Eaton on Sunday afternoon after a search of his property provided probable cause that he was responsible for the shooting.

During their search, police found a firearm and ammunition, according to court documents obtained by NBC News.

A Ruger .380 pistol and a loaded magazine containing five rounds were found in Eaton’s bedroom dresser. Ammunition for a .380 pistol was also found in the same drawer, according to the documents.

Eaton is being held without bail. A bail hearing will be held in the near future, Superior Court Judge A. Gregory Rainville said.