Indian-origin store clerk in US called ‘terrorist’, shot in face

Victim says robber called him a terrorist because of his Indian descent

An Indian-origin store clerk in Michigan, US was shot in the face by a robber after being called a ‘terrorist’ and part of the Islamic State (IS).

“The robber called me a terrorist because of my Indian descent,” the clerk told co-workers, according to a report in MLive, a Michigan-based news website.



The victim, who worked at a store owned by Sikh-American businessman Inderjit Singh, told Singh’s daughter Gurleen Kaur that the robber demanded money from him then led him to a back room where he put the barrel of a long gun into his mouth.

“The worker, fearing he would be killed, grabbed the rifle and was shot in the cheek during the struggle,” Kaur related.

Further, Kaur said the gunman threatened the worker allegedly because of his ethnicity but she added, "I don't know why he did what he did".



"It could've happened to anyone that looks like us. We're Americans. We're trying to live normal lives, be Americans," she added.

Grand Rapids Police Sergeant Terry Dixon said the victim responded bravely. "We're very proud of how he responded in light of this incident. This could've been much, much worse given the apparent intent of the suspect."

"If the victim had not fought off the suspect, then this could've been a much more serious incident," he continued.

The robber, wearing a mask and holding a gun, left with an undisclosed amount of money.

This article originally appeared on NDTV.