A 39-year-old Sikh man was shot in his driveway by a perpetrator who reportedly said, “Get out of my country,” just before committing this apparent hate crime.
The victim is a member of the Sikh community, a religious minority from south Asia.
As of Tuesday, the suspect has not yet been identified. The Kent Police Department, the FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division are investigating.
Statement from OneAmerica Executive Director Rich Stolz:
“We join the growing chorus of voices expressing sorrow and outrage over the suspected hate crime that took place on Friday, March 3 in Kent, Washington. We urge anyone in the community who may have leads in this case to contact the police and to provide information that may lead to the arrest of the perpetrator.
This attack is all too familiar, and it brings to mind the anti-immigrant backlash targeting Muslims, Sikhs and other immigrants following the 9/11 terrorist attacks 15 years ago, when OneAmerica was first founded as Hate Free Zone. As we mourn the death of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, and Indian immigrant killed in an eerily similar incident in Olathe, Kansas late last month and await further news on other investigations here in Washington state, we stand ready to support and partner with community members, government leaders and organizations demanding justice and accountability. Such an attack on any one of us, is an attack on us all and the values we hold dear in a free and diverse society. We must rise above fear and come together across communities to prevent such attacks from happening again.”
OneAmerica is a nonprofit organization that advances the fundamental principles of democracy and justice by building power within immigrant communities.
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