Racial crime: One More Indian shot at in US

Suspect allegedly shouted “go back to your own country”

A 39-year-old Indian in the U.S. was injured on Friday when an unidentified person shot him outside his home. The suspect allegedly shouted “go back to your own country” at the Indian.
The victim, who observes the Sikh faith, 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 the driveway before opening fire, 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.
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.” They have launched an investigation into the case and reached out to the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, the report said.
“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,” police commander Jarod Kasner said.
The incident is the latest in a series of troubling cases where members of the Indian community have been targeted in apparent hate crimes.
The Indian Consulate in San Francisco is in touch with local authorities, an official source said.Kent is about 30 km from Seattle and is near the Congressional constituency of Pramila Jayapal, the Indian-origin member of the House of Representatives. Ms. Jayapal tweeted, “Thoughts and prayers to family and the entire Sikh community in wake of the horrific shooting. This must be investigated as hate crime (sic).”