In a tragic turn of events, Hisham Awartani, one of the three Palestinian students who were shot in Burlington, Vermont last weekend, has been left paralyzed from the chest down. Awartani's mother, Elizabeth Price, revealed on Thursday that her son suffered an incomplete spinal injury, rendering him unable to move areas currently paralyzed.

The devastating news came to light through a GoFundMe campaign launched by Awartani's family and friends to raise funds for his medical expenses. It was disclosed that one of the bullets lodged in his spine has caused the paralysis from the midtorso downward. Despite the grave prognosis, Awartani's family remains hopeful, expressing commitment to his recovery in a statement on the fundraiser page.

Described as a "kind, gentle, brilliant young man with enormous potential," Awartani is a Palestinian Irish American who grew up in the West Bank. He is proficient in seven languages and works as a teaching assistant at Brown University, where he is pursuing his studies in mathematics and archaeology. Despite the setback, Awartani is determined to resume his studies and start the next semester on time.

The incident took place on November 25, as Awartani and his friends, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, were walking near his grandmother's home. Without any provocation, a suspect confronted them and opened fire. The students were speaking Arabic at the time of the attack, and two of them were wearing Palestinian keffiyehs, symbolizing Palestinian solidarity.

Awartani, a U.S. citizen, was shot in the spine, while Ali Ahmad, also a U.S. citizen, was shot in the chest, and Abdalhamid, a legal U.S. resident, was shot in the glute. Jason Eaton, a 48-year-old suspect, has been arrested in connection with the shooting and has pleaded not guilty to three counts of second-degree attempted murder.

The families of the victims, along with advocacy organizations, are urging law enforcement to investigate the shooting as a hate crime. They believe that a comprehensive investigation will reveal that their children were targeted and viciously attacked simply because they were Palestinian. Stressing the importance of justice and accountability, they hope that such heinous acts of violence will never be repeated.

NBC News has reached out to Awartani's family for further comment on the incident. As Awartani begins his intensive rehabilitation this week, his loved ones remain hopeful for his recovery and resilience in the face of adversity.

Note: The article is crafted based on the information provided and may not reflect the most recent updates on the case.