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Shooting at Wisconsin Sikh Temple Leaves At Least Seven Dead
August 5, 2012
Police in Wisconsin say at least seven people were killed in a shooting Sunday at a Sikh temple in a suburb of Milwaukee. A police officer responding to the shooting was wounded in an exchange with the gunman, who is among the dead.
The shooting occurred Sunday morning as dozens of worshippers gathered at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek.
Greenfield Police Chief Bradley Wentlandt says one of the first officers to respond to the incident encountered a gunman, who opened fire. “The first officer on the scene is a 20-year law enforcement veteran, an extremely accomplished tactical officer. When he arrived on the scene, he engaged an active shooter outside of the temple. Multiple rounds were exchanged. The officer was shot multiple times,” he said.
Wentlandt says officers killed the alleged shooter and that four people were found dead inside the temple.
Friends and family members of worshippers told local media that several people, including the president of the temple, were being treated for gunshot wounds at area hospitals.
A man who said his uncle was among the wounded, told reporters that Sunday services are among the biggest weekly gatherings at the temple. “The gunman came earlier than when most people come, so I think, relatively, damages were somewhat limited. But I mean, if this had happened an hour or two later, God knows how many people would be hurt or dead,” he said.
Sunday’s shooting put other Sikh temples in the area on a heightened state of alert, with local police departments guarding other temples as a precaution.
The Sikh Temple of Wisconsin’s website says about 350 to 400 people worship at the site. The Sikh community in southeastern Wisconsin is relatively small, and includes a total of about 3,000 families.
There were isolated incidents of violence against Wisconsin Sikhs in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
[VOA]
Comments
5 Responses to “Shooting at Wisconsin Sikh Temple Leaves At Least Seven Dead”
REGARDING;
“Can it be assumed this does not hit the “Freedom of Worship” radar screen because it happened to a group of people who are not of the Christian faith?”
You can assume it, but you would be wrong.
We were very interested, very displeased that it happened. It reminds us that we are all in danger of attack by crazy people or people who dislike our ways. (That actually makes you a bit scary since you seem angry at us for our silence as we try to understand what would make anyone do such a horrible thing.)
Yes, we are concerned that a Hitler might rise up in this country and that we would be unable to stop him if those who figure the answer to the actions of criminals is to disarm the law-abiding. (I don’t speak for anyone other than myself, but I have seen and heard the thoughts expressed many times, so I figure “we” are concerned.)
You might notice that none of us are proposing killing Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, gypsies, homosexuals, Methodists. Even most fears of Muslims (not that Sikhs are Muslim) are simply that, fear that some of them will do what others of them have done and kill us randomly to strike terror in our unarmed hearts. Even in our irrational fears, we don’t go around burning down mosques or gunning down suspected “others”.
In fact we don’t even attack people for not saying anything.
David for not attacking the Sikh
or the silent
Tuf no time for guilt trips, this was a bad thing done to innocent people by a bad man.
Michael Bloomburg would have us all disarmed if he had his way, then the bad men could have a field day with us all.
Let us pray for those people’s loved ones and peace, also let us prepare to face evil and overcome those who would do evil and violence to us.
I agree also. Maybe we are becoming immune to the pain of others to whom we cannot directly relate, just like we become immune to the atrocities of genocide in Africa and Syria. The right of free speech which allows groups like white supremacists and Westboro Baptist Church to preach hatred against others will inevitably cause some whacked out indivdual to commit horrible crimes against people. There is NEVER justification for murder. I hope and pray for healing to occur in this community of people who were trying to live their lives in peace in America where there is supposed to be religious tolerance. I accept the fact that people worship differently from me, but I do not hate them, nor do I wish them harm. May they know the peace which passes all understanding.
You are right Tuf. I think so many Christians see it as happening to someone they don’t understand or know much about and so they are not as upset as they would be if it were one of “their own.”
It is a shame. As Christians and patriotic Americans, as so many claim to be, you would expect to see many comments of “praying for the families etc etc.”
Not a single comment in 24 hours on this story. Wow!!!
Six people worshipping freely and peacefully on a Sunday morning in America… shot down in their house of worship. Four wounded, including one police officer.
Not a single comment in 24 hours on NE.com. Yet…
Fifty nine comments on NE.com in the August 1 story on Chick-Fil-A appreciation day.
Forty one comments on NE.com in the July 20 story on the Aurora, Colorado shootings.
Can it be assumed this does not hit the “Freedom of Worship” radar screen because it happened to a group of people who are not of the Christian faith? Somehow I can envision 200+ comments screaming about religious freedom if this had happened to six people at a Christian church in Milwaukee.
Why am I so concerned at the local apathy reflected in the lack of comments? Simple:
Is this not similar to what happened to places of worship and people who were Jewish, Jehovah’s Witnesses, gypsies, homosexuals, and other “less than us” citizens as fascism appeared in early 1900’s Germany… while many Christians simply turned their heads and remained silent?