OAK CREEK, Wis.—A gunman opened fire Sunday and killed six people at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee before he was killed in an exchange of gunfire with one of the first officers to respond to the chaotic scene, authorities said.
The
shootings happened before 10:30 a.m., as several dozen people gathered
at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin for Sunday services. Hours of
uncertainty followed as police in tactical gear and carrying assault
rifles surrounded the temple with armored vehicles and ambulances, and
witnesses struggled with unrealized fears that multiple gunman had taken
hostages inside.
"We never
thought this could happen to our community," said Devendar Nagra, 48,
Mount Pleasant, whose sister escaped injury by hiding in the temple's
kitchen. Other women and children barricaded themselves in closets. "We
never did anything wrong to anyone."
The
first official word from police was that they didn't know how many
victims or suspects were involved. But after an extensive search of the
temple, authorities said they did not believe there was more than one
shooter.
At a news
conference late Sunday afternoon, Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards
released no information about the suspect, including his identity or a
possible motive. Edwards said the FBI will lead the investigation
because the shootings are being treated as an act of domestic terrorism.
Jatin
Der Mangat, 38, of Racine, said his uncle Satwant Singh Kaleka, the
temple's president, was one of those shot, but he didn't know the extent
of Kaleka's injuries. When he later learned of the deaths, Mangat said
"it was like the heart just sat down."
"This shouldn't happen anywhere," he said.
Edwards said the gunman "ambushed" one of the first officers to arrive at the temple as the officer tended to a victim outside, and shot the officer multiple times. A second officer then exchanged gunfire with the suspect and fatally shot him. Police had earlier said the officer who was shot killed the suspected shooter.
Tactical
units went through the building and found four people dead inside the
temple and two outside, in addition to the shooter. Two others were
wounded along with the police officer, Edwards said.
The
three wounded were being treated at an area trauma center. Greenfield
Police Chief Bradley Wentlandt, who assisted the investigation, said the
police officer had surgery and is expected to survive.
Police released few details about victims, but family members talked about discussions with some of those inside.
Sukhwindar
Nagra, of Racine, said he called his brother-in-law's phone and a
priest at the temple answered and told him that his brother-in-law had
been shot, along with three priests.
Gurpreet
Kaur, 24, of Oak Creek, said her mother and a group of about 14 other
women were preparing a meal in the temple kitchen when the gunman
entered and started firing. Kaur said her mother felt two bullets fly by
her as the group fled to the pantry. Her mother suffered what Kaur
thought was shrapnel wound in her foot.
Many
Sikhs in the U.S. worship on Sundays at a temple, or gurdwara, and a
typical service consists of meditation and singing in a prayer room
where worshippers remove their shoes and sit on the floor. Worshippers
gather afterward for a meal that also is open to community members,
regardless of their religious beliefs.
Kaur
said she spent the afternoon serving as a translator between law
enforcement and survivors at a nearby bowling alley where people had
been taken from the temple.
"These
are people I've grown up with," she said. "They're like aunts and
uncles to me. To see our community to go through something like this in
numbing."
Sixteen-year-old
LeRon Bridges, of Oak Creek, works at the bowling alley and said he was
in a supply closet when he heard four gunshots. He looked outside, saw
police coming and went to get his boss.
"There were more and more police showing up," he said. "They all pulled out their assault rifles and ran toward the building."
Bridges said police brought people over from the temple in two armored trucks. At one point, about 50 to 60 people were at the bowling alley, including police officers questioning witnesses and paramedics treating victims' wounds, he said.
"They were just hysterical," Bridges said. "There were kids. One big load came out of the truck."
Sikhism
is a monotheistic faith founded more than 500 years ago in South Asia.
It has roughly 27 million followers worldwide. Observant Sikhs do not
cut their hair; male followers often cover their heads with turbans --
which are considered sacred -- and refrain from shaving their beards.
There are roughly 500,000 Sikhs in the U.S., according to estimates. The
majority worldwide live in India.
The
Sikh Temple of Wisconsin started in 1997 with about 25 families who
gathered in community halls in Milwaukee. Construction on the current
temple in Oak Creek began in 2006, according to the temple's website.
Sikh
rights groups have reported a rise in bias attacks since the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks. The Washington-based Sikh Coalition has reported more
than 700 incidents in the U.S. since 9/11, which advocates blame on
anti-Islamic sentiment. Sikhs don't practice the same religion as
Muslims, but their long beards and turbans often cause them to be
mistaken for Muslims, advocates say.
Police
in New York and Chicago issued statements saying that, as a precaution,
they were giving Sikh temples in those cities additional attention. The
Wisconsin shooting came two weeks after a gunman killed 12 people at
movie theater in Colorado.
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