Sikh Student Shot Dead At California Home

The murder of a Sikh boy, Gurnoor Singh Nahal, has been described “as a bit of a head-scratcher.”

Police are investigating the murder of a high school student gunned down in his garage on Wednesday.

“We cannot imagine it. We are lost,” his uncle, Tejinderjit Singh, told CBSSacramento .

Members of the Sikh community, who mistakenly are often identified as Arab or Muslim, are fearful this could be the beginning of hate crimes due to Donald Trump ’s win in the American presidential elections.

“Recent events and political rhetoric are legitimizing bigotry and hate towards anyone who looks different,” Arjun Sethi, director of law and policy at the Sikh Coalition, told The Intercept . “Although political figures may not be inciting against Sikhs directly, because of their appearance, they still end up becoming a target.”

Hate crimes in the U.K. rose exponentially after Brexit, and many analysts have predicted a similar, if not worse, outcome for the American public.