A Florida man was shot in the face twice with a pellet gun during the early hours of Wednesday morning after being confronted by another man in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Lutz, near Tampa Bay.
The shooter allegedly asked his victim, “Are you of Middle Eastern descent?” and “Are you Muslim?” before shouting a racial slur and opening fire. (Read more…)
Police told a reporter with MyFox Tampa Bay that the suspect is still at large, and that they are investigating the incident as a hate crime. The shooter is described as a white male between 18 and 30 with short blond hair, standing about 6 feet tall and weighing about 180 pounds.
Approximately 20 shots were fired from the weapon, although only two landed. The victim was reportedly treated at the scene and released without serious injury.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who turns over information leading to the man’s arrest.
“We urge the FBI to investigate this case because it seems to fit a disturbing pattern of recent incidents targeting Muslims in Florida and nationwide,” CAIR-Tampa Executive Director Hassan Shibly said in an advisory.
This video is from Fox 13 News in Tampa Bay, published Wednesday, January 2, 2012.
Photo: Shutterstock.com, all rights reserved.
[VIA The Raw Story]
