A Sikh truck driver from Northern California was stabbed 17 times in an unprovoked attack at a Wyoming truck stop on Sunday, his attorney says.
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attorney → stab → Sunday
The Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office in Wyoming confirmed the attack happened just before 3:30 a.m. on Sunday.
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attack → confirm → Sunday
The driver, a Sacramento man who said he only feels safe sharing his last name of Singh, stopped near the Bitter Creek rest area on Interstate 80 in Wyoming for a bathroom break.
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he → say → break
He told attorney and Jakara Movement Director of Legal Services Jasjit Singh that he was first punched in the back of the head in the rest area bathroom.
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he → tell → bathroom
His attacker, another truck driver, didn't speak as Singh repeatedly asked why he was being attacked.
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he → speak → ?
The man began to stab Singh until he was able to push him off and run outside.
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he → begin → him
A family at the rest area saw Singh's condition after the attack.
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family → see → attack
A father and son followed the suspect, who attempted to drive off in his own tractor-trailer, until Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers arrived.
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troopers → follow → trailer
The family returned to the rest area to help Singh, who called 911.
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who → return → 911
Singh was transported by helicopter to a trauma facility, according to the sheriff's office.
uncertain
Singh → transport → office
The suspect was located in Rawlins, further east down I-80, by Highway Patrol troopers and taken into custody without incident.
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suspect → locate → incident
Concern about attack's motive
There is no known motive for the attack at this time and there is no threat to the public, officials said.
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officials → be → public
Singh, the driver, is getting support from the Jakara Movement, a California-based grassroots community-building organization that empowers, educates, and organizes Punjabi Sikhs and other marginalized communities.
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that → get → Sikhs
Jasjit Singh told CBS News Sacramento Thursday there are concerns about why the driver was attacked and whether it was motivated by bias.
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it → tell → bias
The driver was not wearing a turban at the time, Singh said, but he was wearing a kara, which is a metal bracelet traditionally worn by Sikhs.
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which → wear → Sikhs
Singh says the victim believes his appearance may have played a role in the attack.
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appearance → say → attack
"He feels like that may be part of the targeting," Singh said.
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Singh → feel → targeting
"How did this individual choose him?
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individual → choose → him
There has been no official determination from investigators that the attack was motivated by the victim's religion, ethnicity or appearance.
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attack → motivate → religion
Singh also points to the fact that the attacker was another truck driver.
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attacker → point → fact
"What drove this individual to do this?
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What → drive → this
This is another truck driver," Singh said.
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Singh → say → ?
The Bitter Creek rest area is along a heavily traveled stretch of I-80 through Wyoming.
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area → travel → Wyoming
Lawmakers respond to unprovoked attack
Jasjit Singh says there have been concerns about the rhetoric coming from Washington and how it could affect South Asian and Sikh truck drivers.
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it → respond → drivers
"Now you have this additional fear that as a South Asian or as a Sikh Punjabi Sikh truck driver, you have to deal with these fears on how you look," Singh said.
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Singh → have → fears
Singh stressed that the Sikh community has spent decades building relationships with other communities.
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community → stress → communities
He is urging people to come together rather than allowing rhetoric to lead to violence.
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rhetoric → urge → violence
"We are really begging that folks really come together and realize that we're really stronger together," Singh said.
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Singh → beg → ?
"Nothing should lead to an attack on someone's life."
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Nothing → lead → life
The attack comes days after a social media post from the Department of Homeland Security
and drew criticism from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democratic lawmakers.
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post → come → Newsom
The post, which has since been taken down, shows the character Optimus Prime from the "Transformers" franchise facing a man and includes the phrases "America for Americans," "Self-deport or find out" and "Get off our roads, you don't know how to drive, Mr. Singh."
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you → take → roads
In response to the Wyoming rest stop attack, Newsom's chief deputy director of communications shared a statement with CBS News Sacramento.
"
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director → share → News
The Trump Administration for over a year has been pushing misinformation to smear an entire workforce and target diverse communities.
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Administration → push → communities
The President's now-redacted social media post is one proof point — his hateful rhetoric is hurting our communities," Diana Crofts-Pelayo said.
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Pelayo → redact → communities
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi , an Illinois Democrat, said in a statement that he is "horrified by the brutal attack on a Sikh truck driver who was stabbed 17 times at a Wyoming rest stop.
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who → say → stop
This comes amid rising hatred targeting Sikh and South Asian Americans, with even the Trump Department of Homeland Security recently posting a racist caricature of a Sikh truck driver telling him to 'get off our roads' and 'self-deport or find out.'
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Department → come → roads
"Those spreading this hate, including officials in our own federal government, need to stop.
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Those → spread → government
Those who turn it into violence must be held accountable.
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who → turn → violence
And all of us need to stand together against both.
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all → need → both
I'm praying for Mr. Singh's full recovery and grateful to the family whose quick action helped save his life."
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action → pray → life
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
