Kent Police and the FBI are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who shot a Sikh man in the driveway of his East Hill home last Friday night.
Authorities are investigating the shooting as a hate crime.
The victim, 39-year-old Deep Rai, told police he was working on his vehicle in front of his Kent home at about 8 p.m. when a stranger approached him, saying, “Go back to your own country.” There was a physical altercation that led to the suspect shooting Rai in the arm. The shooter then fled on foot, police said.
Rai, a U.S. citizen who is originally from India’s Punjab state, is recovering from the wound.
The suspect is described as a white male, 6 feet tall, with a medium build, dark hoodie, dark clothing, and a mask covering the lower part of his face. The victim was only able to provide these details to describe his attacker, authorities said.
A sketch artist was able to work with the victim and create a detailed sketch of the suspect. Investigators are hoping the public can help identify this assailant.
“This is a very unusual circumstance for our community,” said Kent Police Commander Jarod Kasner. “We have not had a similar situation or reports of any similar incidents.”
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the successful resolution of the assault case, with racially motivated actions. The FBI hopes that the reward is an additional incentive for people to come forward with information.
Anyone with information that can help identify this individual is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or the Kent Police tip line 253-856-5808.
Callers to Crime Stoppers may remain anonymous and are eligible to receive an additional cash reward of $1,000 if the information given leads to an arrest and charge of the person or persons involved. The FBI’s reward applies to information leading to an arrest related to this tragic incident.
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