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U.S. NEWS Monday 6 March 2017
FBI helping probe Sikh man’s shooting near Seattle

Deep Rai, a U.S. national of from shaving their beards.
Indian origin.”She said she In 2012, a man shot and
had spoken to Rai’s father, killed six Sikh worshippers
who told her Rai is out of and wounded four others
danger and recovering in at a Sikh temple near Mil-
a hospital.Rai told police a waukee before killing him-
man he didn’t know came self.The Sikh Coalition, a
up to him Friday night and national civil rights group,
they got into an argument, asked local and federal
with the suspect telling Rai authorities to investigate
to go back to his homeland. the shooting in suburban
He described the shooter Seattle as a hate crime.
as 6 feet tall and white with “It was disheartening to
a stocky build, police said. see it happening here in
He said the man was wear- my community,” Satwinder
Men and women attend Sunday services at the Gurudwara ing a mask covering the Kaur said. “Kent is a very
Singh Sabha of Washington, a Sikh temple in Renton, Wash.,
Sunday, March 5, 2017, south of Seattle. Authorities said a Sikh lower half of his face.Sikhs diverse community.” Kaur
man said a gunman shot him in his arm Friday, March 3, 2017, have previously been the said she had arranged for
as he worked on his car in his driveway and told him “go back target of assaults in the U.S. Kent’s police chief to talk
to your own country.” Sikhs have previously been the target of After the Sept. 11, 2001, at- to the community Saturday
assaults in the U.S. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, as the back- tacks, the backlash that hit about their concerns on
lash that hit Muslims around the country expanded to include Muslims around the country immigration and the role of
those of the Sikh faith.
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) expanded to include those local police officers. After
the shooting, the meeting
of the Sikh faith. Men of-
PHUONG LE vigilant.” ten cover their heads with turned into a question-and-
Associated Press It comes after an Indian turbans, which are consid- answer session about the
KENT, Wash. (AP) — The man was killed and an- ered sacred, and refrain crime, she said. q
FBI will help investigate other wounded in a re-
the shooting of a Sikh cent shooting at a Kansas
man who said a gunman bar that federal agencies
approached him as he are investigating as a hate
worked on his car in his crime after witnesses say
suburban Seattle driveway the suspect yelled “get out
and told him “go back to of my country.”Hira Singh,
your own country,” authori- a Sikh community leader,
ties said Sunday. said there have been in-
Kent Police Chief Ken creasing complaints re-
Thomas said no arrests cently from Sikhs near Se-
have yet been after the attle who say they have
victim was shot in the arm been the target of foul lan-
Friday night about 20 miles guage or other comments.
south of Seattle but that “This kind of incident shakes
he did not believe anyone up the whole community,”
was in imminent danger. he said, adding that about
“This is a top priority inves- 50,000 members of the faith
tigation, and we are doing live in Washington state.
everything possible to iden- India’s foreign minister, Su-
tify and arrest the suspect,” shma Swaraj, identified the
Thomas said in an email, victim on Twitter early Sun-
adding that the city of day, saying, “I am sorry to
about 120,000 should “be know about the attack on
NYPD: No evidence of vandalism

found at largely Jewish cemetery

NEW YORK (AP) — The nance, as well as environ-
New York Police Depart- mental factors such as soil
ment says no evidence of erosion.
vandalism has been found There has been a rash of
at a predominantly Jew- vandalism at Jewish cem-
ish cemetery where more eteries and 122 bomb
than 40 tombstones were threats against Jewish or-
toppled over. ganizations in three dozen
The NYPD says after con- states since early January.
sultation with the manage- Authorities said Friday that
ment of the Washington Juan Thompson, a former
Cemetery in Brooklyn, it journalist fired for fabri-
was determined the 42 cating details in stories,
tombstones came down made at least eight threats
as a result of a number of against Jewish institutions
factors. nationwide as part of a
Those include long-term campaign against his ex-
neglect or lack of mainte- girlfriend. q