In what appears to be yet another case of hate crime, a 39-year-old Sikh man was shot and injured in the US on Friday, by an unidentified man, who reportedly shouted "go back to your own country."
According to reports, the Sikh man was outside his home in Kent in Washington, when a stranger approached him, got into an argument with him, and shot him in the arm.
The identity of the victim has not been revealed.
PTI reported that the victim described the shooter as a six-foot-tall white man, wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face.
The report also states that the Kent Police were "treating this as a very serious incident."
"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," Kent Police Commander Jarod Kasner was quoted as saying.
Speaking to Seattle Times, Jasmit Singh, a leader of the Sikh community in Renton, said that the victim had been released from the hospital.
“He is just very shaken up, both him and his family. 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,” Singh told the newspaper.
This comes just a day after an Indian-origin businessman was shot dead outside his home in South Carolina.
On Thursday night, Harnish Patel had closed his shop at 11.24pm, and barely ten minutes later, he was shot dead outside his house in Lancaster, a media report said.
Patel's death comes two days after President Donald Trump had condemned as "hate and evil" the killing of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, (32), the previous Wednesday in a Kansas bar.
Srinivas was shot dead by a man screaming, "Get out of my country".
Another Indian Alok Madasani, who was with the victim at a bar, and an American, Ian Grillot, who tried to stop the shooting, were also shot and injured.
Adam Purinton, a white man, and a former Navy SEAL, was arrested and charged with murder. He had reportedly said that he had shot two Iranians after shooting the Indians.
The hate crime was condemned by leaders in both the US and India.
In his State of the Union address to the joint session of the Congress on February 28, Trump said: "Last week's shooting in Kansas City, reminds us that while we may be a Nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms."
Kent police chief says dept. is investigating last night's shooting as a possible hate crime against member of Sikh community. pic.twitter.com/pLcWsobvm4
— Ryan Takeo (@RyanTakeoK5) March 4, 2017
Kent PD investigating injury shooting of Sikh man, his friend has this message...more 5pm @KIRO7Seattle @PatranyaKIRO7 pic.twitter.com/7WdbjcZE4J
— Bill Skok (@billskiro7) March 4, 2017
Kent Police & FBI now investigating possible hate crime after a Sikh man shot in Kent. Suspect at large. Live report at 5pm @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/AwLjPIWKUm
— Patranya Bhoolsuwan (@PatranyaKIRO7) March 5, 2017
IANS inputs