Local

No arrests yet after Sikh man shot in Kent

Police haven’t made any arrests after a Sikh man was shot in a Kent driveway by a gunman who yelled, “go back to your own country.”

Sikh community leader Hira Singh told the Associated Press that the man is recovering from his wound at home. Family identifies the victim as 39-year-old Deep Rai Singh.

Here’s what we know:

  • Police in the city of Kent are investigating the shooting as a hate crime.
  • Police Cmdr. Jarod Kasner said Monday that no arrests have been so far in Friday night's shooting.
  • The FBI has joined the investigation.
  • The FBI’s Seattle Field Office, in conjunction with the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, opened a civil rights investigation on Monday.
  • The shooting has rattled members of the Sikh community.

What police say about the incident

According to authorities, around 8 p.m., an armed individual walked up to a man working on his car in a driveway at a house off 108th Avenue SE. The victim, who is a member of the Sikh community, was wearing a turban.

The Sikh man told police that the gunman said, "Go back to your own country."

Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas said Sunday that the department is investigating the shooting as a hate crime. He said no arrests have been made yet, but that he did not believe anyone was in imminent danger.

"This is a top priority investigation, and we are doing everything possible to identify and arrest the suspect," Thomas said in an email, adding that residents in the city of about 125,000 should "be vigilant," but also not let the shooting hurt their quality of life.

The FBI's Seattle office said in a statement Sunday that it is "committed to investigating crimes that are potentially hate-motivated," the Seattle Times reported.

The FBI’s Seattle Field Office, in conjunction with the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, has opened a civil rights investigation. On Monday, KIRO 7 News learned that the FBI is working with the Kent Police Department to determine if there is a federal civil rights violation.

A number of Washington leaders have come out condemning the attack on social media, including Pramila Jayapal and Senator Maria Cantwell.

About the victim and family

Family describes Deep Rai Singh as a father and a small business owner.

Hira Singh – who ran for Kent City Council last year – said the family doing well and "getting back to normal” now that the victim is back home recovering. He said they've been overwhelmed by an outpouring of support and love.

KIRO 7’s Siemny Kim spoke to Rai over the phone. He told her he is okay, still in shock and asked for privacy for his family at this time.

But the case is striking a nerve with a lot of people in the  community, especially Tim Lemire, one of Rai’s employees.

Lemire said he just learned Rai was shot on Monday and immediately went to his home to check up on him. He brought flowers for Rai and his wife.

“He totally loves his country,” Lemire said. “I guess he was stereotyped.”

Lemire just wants the shooter caught.

“It's a dirtbag,” Lemire said, referring to the shooter. “Even though he's Sikh, Indian, he's very caring to me. There are only 2 employees and he's really good to both of us.”

No one was home while Lemire was there, but Lemire shared a little more about the man he's worked with for about a year. He said Rai came to the country in 1997.

“He turned out to be like a family member, close, and works hard,  works a lot harder than we do,” Lemire added.

How the community has reacted

Lemire said his only concern right now is for Rai's safety.

“We would actually step in front of a bullet for him. He's our buddy, our friend. and he's our boss,” Lemire explained. “I'm not afraid, I'll work with him. If anything should happen, we watch out for each other.”

The shooter is described a white man, 6 foot tall, with a mask covering the lower half of his face, stocky build, and dressed in dark clothing. He took off on foot.

Fear, hurt and disbelief weighed on the minds of those who gathered at a Renton Sikh temple
over the weekend after the shooting happened near the Panther Lake Community.

As they entered and left the services, many expressed fear that one of their own was targeted and said they're scared to go to the store or other public places. Some said they have noticed an uptick in name-calling and other racist incidents in recent months. Others expressed hurt and disbelief at the ignorance and lack of understanding.

"Everybody who is part of this community needs to be vigilant," Satwinder Kaur, a Sikh community leader, said as several hundred people poured into a temple in Renton for worship services about one mile from Friday night's shooting.

On Sikhs being targets of violence

The shooting comes after an Indian man was killed and another wounded in a recent shooting at a Kansas bar that federal agencies are investigating as a hate crime after witnesses say the suspect yelled, "Get out of my country."

Sikhs have previously been the target of assaults in the U.S. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the backlash that hit Muslims around the country expanded to include those of the Sikh faith. Sikh men often cover their heads with turbans, which are considered sacred, and refrain from shaving their beards.

In 2012, a man shot and killed six Sikh worshipers and wounded four others at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee before killing himself.

The Sikh Coalition, a national civil rights group, on Sunday said that everything must be done "to confront this growing epidemic of hate violence."

KIRO 7 News checked with the Sikh community, who say the pronunciation of “Sikh” is similar to the word “sick,” not “seek.”