Post by Scumhunter on Apr 23, 2014 8:47:36 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: CBS Sacramento)
It has been over three years since two elderly Sikhs were shot to death in a crime that shocked their community.
Two friends Surinder Singh, 67, and Gurmej Atwal, 78, were shot at on their afternoon stroll through the Elk Grove neighborhood in Sacramento, California. Singh died on the spot, while Atwal was sent to the nearest hospital but would eventually succumb to his wounds six weeks later. Witnesses described a 1999 to 2003 beige or tan Ford F-150 pickup truck in the area of the shooting. No motive was established at the time, but the victims' families and others feared Singh and Atwal were targeted because they were wearing turbans, which some Americans mistakenly think represent Taliban and Muslim extremists. The murders sparked outrage from the community. Reward money from the FBI and local organizations in the community came to nearly $60,000 the first year.
Three years later, the case remains unsolved. Not letting it fall by the wayside like so many other unsolved murders, two documentary filmmakers are profiling the case on a local half-hour show similar to America's Most Wanted.
Thoughts? First of all what bothers me is all the talk about how they were mistaken for Muslims. What does this imply? That if they had actually been Muslims it would be ok? I have always been quick to point out that why I hate Yaser Said has nothing to do with his religion. I hate him because he killed his two daughters, and what he did is not what his faith taught him. He simply used his faith as a sick excuse to commit murder. People talk about this case like when someone gets mistaken for a gang member.
With that being said, I do understand that them being "mistaken" for Muslims is likely the reason (I just don't like how it's never followed up by saying even if they were it's no excuse), and this is pretty obviously a hate crime. Unfortunately, there's not much to go on. We pretty much have to hope that whoever committed this atrocious act is stupid enough to brag about it or that somebody saw something and comes forward.
Admin Note #1: Based on crime location, our advice for anyone with information on this case would be to contact Sacramento's Crime Alert hotline at 1-800-AA-CRIME or (916) 443-HELP
Admin Note #2: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
www.nriinternet.com/NRI_Murdered/USA/A_Z/S/Surinder.Singh/index.htm
sacramento.cbslocal.com/2011/10/17/reward-for-information-in-sikh-killings-now-at-57k/
www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2011/summer/two-sikhs-murdered-in-california-were
www.sacbee.com/2014/04/21/6342346/film-crew-aims-to-help-solve-elk.html
