A 48-year-old man has been arrested in the US state of Vermont in connection with the shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent.

The students were shot suddenly on Saturday when they were walking on a street in Burlington. Investigators say the gunman discharged at least four rounds from the pistol without speaking.

Local investigative authorities said the three men have been treated at a hospital. Reportedly two of them are in stable condition and the other has sustained serious injuries.

Local media reported that the 48-year-old suspect lived near the location of the shooting.

The motive has yet to be determined. The authorities suspect the attack may have been a hate crime targeting people of Palestinian descent.

The students were reportedly visiting the home of one victim's relatives in Burlington for the Thanksgiving holiday. Two were wearing the traditional Palestinian cloth referred to as a keffiyeh.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has urged people to be vigilant amid a rise in the number of what appears to be hate crime incidents in the US following the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.