Seven dead, including gunman, in shooting at Wisconsin Sikh temple

[give her dixie]

Another sad day in the US as 7 people are murdered at a temple in Wisconsin.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/05/us-usa-wisconsin-shooting-idUSBRE8740FP20120805

(Reuters) - A shooting during Sunday services at a Sikh temple left at least seven people dead, including a gunman, and at least three critically wounded, and police said they were still searching for other assailants.

The mass killing began when a white gunman or gunmen walked into the kitchen of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin about 10:30 CDT (11.30 a.m. EDT) and started shooting, according to congregation members in touch with people inside the building.

"It was a very coordinated thing. It wasn't haphazard," temple member Amardeep Kaleka told CNN. He said his father was wounded in the attack at the temple in a suburb south of Milwaukee.

Greenfield Police Chief Bradley Wentlandt, speaking for all law enforcement at the temple, told reporters four people were killed inside the temple. Three were shot dead outside, including a gunman killed by a police officer.

He declined to say whether there was more than one shooter, but hours after the attack heavily armed officers were still searching the sprawling temple complex for other suspects.

Milwaukee's Froedtert Hospital said three men had been brought in wounded and were in critical condition. One was in the operating room, the hospital said in a statement.

The 20-year veteran officer who exchanged fire with the gunman was hit several times, Wentlandt said. He was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive.

Witnesses said hostages were being held inside the temple but police did not confirm this.

President Barack Obama, alerted of the shooting at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, said he was "deeply saddened" by the attack, according to a White House statement. He said his administration would give whatever aid was needed to respond to and investigate it.

The Indian embassy in Washington said it was in touch with the White House's National Security Council about the shooting and an Indian diplomat had been sent to the Sikh temple in Wisconsin.

"TARGETED AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY"

The mass killing in Oak Creek is yet another in a recent rampage by gunmen in suburban America.

In July, 12 people were killed and 58 wounded when a shooter opened fire at a screening of the latest Batman movie in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colorado. In January 2011, then-congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords was the target of an assassination attempt in which six people were killed and 13 were wounded.

"The gunman is worse than the one at the theater a couple of weeks ago because he targeted an entire community," said temple member Jagatjit Sidhu. He was among dozens of temple members and onlookers who gathered in a parking lot near the temple after police sealed the building off.

The Sikh faith includes belief in only one God and that the goal of life is to lead an exemplary existence. It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world with more than 30 million followers.

The temple in Oak Creek was founded in October 1997 and has a congregation of 350 to 400 people. There are an estimated 500,000 or more Sikhs in the United States.

In the United States, especially since the attacks of September 11, 2001, Sikhs have sometimes been confused publicly with Muslims because of their turban headdress and beards. In September 2001, a Sikh gas station owner in Mesa, Arizona, was shot dead by a man who was said to be seeking revenge on Muslims for the hijacked plane attacks on the United States.

Members of the Milwaukee Sikh community complained to police and a state representative last year about an upturn in robberies and vandalism at Sikh-owned gas stations and stores.

New York police said they were increasing security at Sikh temples as a precaution. There are no known threats against temples in the city, they said in a statement.

[LeoMc]

Sounds like it could have been much worse only the Sikh priest managed to slow him up.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9457904/Sikh-hero-fought-neo-Nazi-Wisconsin-gunman-to-lay-down-his-own-life-for-others.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/wisconsin-temple-killer-was-neonazi-who-left-army-in-disgrace-8009840.html

[heganboy]

It increasingly looks like the shooter believed that Sikhs were actually fundamentalist Moslems.

Yes, the white power band lead singer was so anti Islam, and well prepared that it was easier for him to go and get guns than it was to google "Sikh"

Bloomberg is making a good point now, challenging Obama and Romney to review gun law...

[omagh_gael]

Strange how little coverage this is getting compared to Aurora. Hierarchy of victims?

[stew]

The sc**bag that did this is a much decorated serviceman................how the feck did the likes of him get into the military?

When will a President, Congress and the house decide enough is enough and change the gun law in this country?

I feel for the Sikh community, this was utterly deplorable and I would shed no tears if these white power arseholes got the bullet while out parading and spewing their filth across the highways and byways of America.

[AZOffaly]

The sc**bag that did this is a much decorated serviceman................how the feck did the likes of him get into the military?

When will a President, Congress and the house decide enough is enough and change the gun law in this country?

I feel for the Sikh community, this was utterly deplorable and I would shed no tears if these white power arseholes got the bullet while out parading and spewing their filth across the highways and byways of America.

"The sc**bag that did this is a much decorated serviceman................how the feck did the likes of him get into the military?"

Stew, it's an unfortunate fact of life that the US military (and every other military force in the world) contains a lot of people who are less than model citizens. Even ignoring the large numbers of incidents involving active servicemen and women, they are often times damaged people when they come out of the military. Certainly the jingoism and overt agression which is a common feature of armies around the world cannot be good for people who might be naturally predisposed to violence.

However, in the interests of fairness, was this guy not discharged in 1998 as a result of several disciplinery incidents, so he might just have been a bad egg, even had he never gone near the military. But he is not unique in US military history, nor is he rare in armies around the world.

[give her dixie]

Regarding changes in the gun laws, I heard an interesting comment yesterday regarding how airport security changed forever when someone apparently tried to bring liquid explosives onto a plane. Not only did the laws change, but it also created a huge industry in relation to new scanners and x ray machines and a creation of "Security Theatre".

If laws can be changed for peoples "Security", then why can't gun laws be changed for peoples security when they go to college/cinema/temple/post office, etc etc?

Guess the NRA and weapons manufacturers make to much money and have too much power for that to happen.

[Eamonnca1]

Regarding changes in the gun laws, I heard an interesting comment yesterday regarding how airport security changed forever when someone apparently tried to bring liquid explosives onto a plane. Not only did the laws change, but it also created a huge industry in relation to new scanners and x ray machines and a creation of "Security Theatre".

If laws can be changed for peoples "Security", then why can't gun laws be changed for peoples security when they go to college/cinema/temple/post office, etc etc?

Guess the NRA and weapons manufacturers make to much money and have too much power for that to happen.

Yup, that about sums it up. The NRA have seized control of the entire conversation. Every time there's a massacre the instant response is "guns don't kill people, people kill people" and off they go comparing guns to cars and other random objects. They have conditioned the majority into supporting the gun lobby's absurd position. The gun control lobby has done an abysmal job and seems to have given up. Everyone is just resigned to it, and that is so so sad.

[LeoMc]

I had always thought that there was a compromise could be made to begin to limit weapons on the street that would be acceptable to the NRA,  allowing hand-guns for defense and single shot rifles for hunting but ban automatic and semi-automatic weapons.
However this latest atrocity was carried out with a hand-gun. Simply limiting guns is not the answer, there needs to be a complete shift on attitudes to go with it. However in a Country of that size with guns so engrained in the culture I do not know how that is possible.