Unidentified man shoots Sikh man in Washington

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In another incident of suspected hate crime in United States,  a Sikh man has been injured when an unidentified person shot him outside his home in the Washington state and allegedly shouted go back to your own country.

latest newsLocal media reports, the Sikh man was working on his vehicle outside his home in the city of Kent on Friday when he was approached by a stranger, who walked up to the driveway.

The Sikh man was working on his vehicle outside his home in the city of Kent in the Washington state 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.

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.

This incident 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  US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani before yelling “get out of my country.”

Two days ago, Indian-origin convenience store owner Harnish Patel, 43, of Lancaster in South Carolina was found dead of gunshot wounds in his yard.

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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,” he said.

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 September 11 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.