Sikh shot at in US ‘hate crime’

New York, March 5

A 39-year-old Sikh man was injured when a masked gunman opened fire at him in front of his house in US’ Washington state after telling him “go back to your own country”. This is the third incident involving Indian victims in the past 10 days.

The Sikh man, identified as US national Deep Rai, was working on his vehicle outside his home in Kent on Friday when a stranger, described as a white male, walked up to him. Kent police said an argument broke out between the two, with Rai claiming the suspect made statements like “go back to your own country”. The unidentified man then shot him in the arm.

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In a series of tweets, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said: “I am sorry to know about the attack on Deep Rai, a US national of Indian-origin. I have spoken to Sardar Harpal Singh, father of the victim.”

“He told me that his son had a bullet injury in his arm. He is out of danger and is recovering in a private hospital.”

MaryKay L Carlson, Charge d’Affaires, American Embassy in New Delhi, said she was “saddened” by the shooting. “Wishes for quick and full recovery. As @POTUS said we condemn ‘hate and evil in all its forms’,” she tweeted.

The victim described the shooter as a six-foot-tall white man, wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face. The Kent police are looking for the gunman.

Kent police chief Ken Thomas said while the Sikh man sustained “non life-threatening injuries”, they were treating this as a “very serious incident”.

Rai is able to talk, an Indian government official said. The official said the government was ready to offer all possible assistance to him. Authorities are investigating the shooting as a suspected hate crime, according to the Seattle Times.

India’s Consulate in San Francisco is in touch with local authorities who are ascertaining the nature of the crime. The Kent police have launched an investigation into the case and have reached out to the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. “We’re early on in our investigation,” Thomas said.

The National Sikh Campaign, a rights group, said “the community must get organised and proactively fight hate by reaching out to our fellow Americans”. — Agencies