Congregation Prays for Wisconsin Sikh Temple Shooting Victims

A San Diego County Sikh congregation Sunday prayed for the victims of a mass shooting at a temple in Oak Creek, Wis. that left six people and the apparent gunman dead.

Along with the seven dead, police at the scene said three people were injured in the attack. Among the wounded was a relative of a Chula Vista family, who had been shot in the foot, said Baljit Singh, president of the Sikh Society of San Diego.

Singh said the congregation of Gurudwara Sahib in Escondido prayed for the victims of the shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in a suburb south of Milwaukee.

Police at the scene called the attack, which happened about 8:25 a.m. Pacific time, “a domestic terrorist-type incident.” Reports from the scene indicated a police officer shot and killed the suspected gunman.

“Some of the people from the congregation have relatives over there in
Milwaukee that go to that temple,” Singh said. “We prayed for them.”

The Gurudwara Sahib congregation prayed for the victims during the 10 a.m. “Diwans” service, Singh said, adding temple officials planned to contact the family members of the victims' families.

“Sikh is a very peaceful religion, but it could happen to anyone anywhere,” Singh said. “There are crazy people in the world that don't think twice about what they're doing.”

Singh said the local congregation would meet and decide if extra security would be necessary in the future, either at the Escondido temple or at the Sikh Society's Poway location at 12269 Oak Knoll Road.

“We haven't had any incidents here in San Diego,” Singh said.

Extra police presence had not yet been requested, but Escondido police officials said they would evaluate and determine if security would be necessary.

-City News Service