A 39-year-old Sikh man in the US has been injured when an unidentified person shot him outside his home and allegedly shouted “go back to your own country”.
Deep Rai, a US citizen, was working on his vehicle outside his home in the city of Kent in Washington on Friday when he was approached by a stranger, who walked up to the driveway, the Seattle Times reported.
Kent police said an argument broke out between the two men, with the victim saying the suspect made statements to the effect of “go back to your own country”. The unidentified man then shot him in the arm.
FBI to Investigate
The victim described the shooter as a six-foot-tall white man, wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face. Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas said while the Sikh man sustained "non life-threatening injuries", they are "treating this as a very serious incident."
Kent police have launched an investigation into the case and reached out to the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, the report said.
"We're early on in our investigation," Thomas said. Kent Police Commander Jarod Kasner said the incident is getting attention from the Sikh community and others.
With recent unrest and concern throughout the nation this can get people emotionally involved, especially when (the crime) is directed at a person for how they live, how they look.Jarod Kasner, Kent Police Commander
Jasmit Singh, a leader of the Sikh community in Renton, said he had been told the victim was released from the hospital.
He said the victim and his family are "very shaken up."
We’re all kind of at a loss in terms of what’s going on right now, this is just bringing it home. The climate of hate that has been created doesn’t distinguish between anyone.Jasmit Singh, Leader, Sikh community in Renton
‘Reminiscent of Aftermath After 11 September Attacks’
Singh said that men from his community have reported a rise in incidents of verbal abuse, “a kind of prejudice, a kind of xenophobia that is nothing that we’ve seen in the recent past.”
He said the number of incidents targeting members of the Sikh religion, are reminiscent of the aftermath of the 11 September terror attacks.
But at that time, it felt like the (presidential) administration was actively working to allay those fears," Jasmit Singh said adding that "now it's a very different dimension."
Advocacy group The Sikh Coalition said it calls upon local law enforcement officials to investigate this shooting as a possible hate crime.
Various rights groups and ethnic Indian organisations are reaching out to people of the community asking them not to succumb to fear and immediately report any incident of hate crime or violence to law enforcement authorities.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that she had spoken to Deep Rai’s father and that he is recovering.
The Killings of Srinivas Kuchibholta and Harnish Patel
On Thursday, Indian-origin convenience store owner Harnish Patel, 43, of Lancaster in South Carolina was found dead of gun shot wounds in his yard.
It also comes close on the heels of the tragic shooting in Kansas last month of 32-year old Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, who was killed when 51-year old US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani before yelling "get out of my country."
The Indo-American Democratic Organization strongly condemned Kuchibhotla's tragic killing, saying "the circumstances around this horrible crime are incredibly troubling which includes but not limited to: unprovoked violence in a public venue, racial slurs, and a senseless attack against innocent members of the public."
India Civil Watch, a collective of Indian-American activists and professionals, called on Indian-Americans to not succumb to fear in the wake of incidents like Kuchibotla's murder.
The community must get organised in broad coalitions with others who intend to defend immigrant and minority rights, it added.
(With inputs from PTI)
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