In random act of irrational brutality that has shaken the quiet neighborhood of the Greencastle area of Silver Spring, MD two elderly Sikh gentlemen were beaten up mercilessly by a group of African-American teenagers on September 15.

Bhupinder Singh Nibber and his brother-in-law Darshan Singh Sarang were out for a walk in their picturesque backyard, which trails into a small lake surrounded by lush green trees and bushes, when a group of African-American teenagers, aged between 14 and 16 year, approached them menacingly and punched Sarang, 85, squarely in the eye, knocking him down.

Sarang collapsed to the ground and the alleged assailants rained blows on him, kicking him in the ribs and stomach.

As Sarang was moaning with pain, a completely perplexed Nibber intervened and questioned the assailants. “I asked them ‘Why are you doing this?’ and reached for my cell phone saying,” ‘Do you want me to call the police?’” he said.

This infuriated the assailants even more and now they turned their ire on Nibber. “It sounded like a bullet shot,” recalled Nibber, wincing in pain. “A blow landed on my left temple, followed by a punch in the ribs and a kick on the head. As the situation turned from shock to realization that both of us could be dead in a matter of minutes, we started shouting, ‘Help! Help! They are going to kill us!’” he added.

Fearing a reprisal from neighbors, the assailants fled, leaving the two victims on the ground. “As we regained consciousness, we gathered ourselves and slowly limped to our house,” Nibber said.

Nibber’s wife, Sudesh, said, “I saw him at the door; his turban was in his hand and his face was swollen, as he staggered into the house, looking for support to stand.”

Police have screened the area but have not found the assailants. Investigations are still on, but the police have ascertained that the assailants were not from the neighborhood.

It is yet to be determined whether the incident was a hate crime or a teenager’s initiation into a street gang. It is common knowledge that teenagers who join street gangs have to prove themselves through some act of violence.

Nibber and Sarang, who is too distraught to even talk, are not sure whether it was a hate crime or gang-related violence. “I do not know whether they thought we overhead their conversation or it was plain that we were turbaned Sikhs,” Nibber said.