A transit worker in California was shot with an arrow in an attack that officials say could be classified as a hate crime. The 36-year-old victim, who was not identified, is a member of the Sikh community.
The victim was walking through a residential neighborhood in San Jose with another co-worker, who is also a member of the Sikh community, during their lunch break when he was struck in the back by an arrow. He was rushed to the hospital, and his condition is unknown.
Officials said the man is lucky that the arrow missed hitting his vital organs.
"It did penetrate through his skin," Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office spokesman Russell Davis told KTVU. "I would say, fortunately, this situation could have been a lot worse. … It was pretty close to hitting some vital organs, from what I understand."
Authorities have not identified a suspect and are asking the public to call an anonymous tip line at 408-808-4431 with any information about the attack.
According to KTVU, this is not the first time a transit worker was attacked in the area. In 2019, a female bus driver was shot in the head with a pellet gun. She has since returned to work.
"We face all types of assaults. Verbally our operators hear just about everything. So this certainly puts this in the narrative of some of the things that we've heard, that this could possibly be a hate crime," John Courtney, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, told the news station.
Photo: Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office