Washington, DC – Dozens are reported shot in a developing situation being reported at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and federal and local law and enforcement authorities are at the scene, according to Milwaukee County Law Enforcement scanners.
According to police, seven people have been killed, included the gunman, and many others wounded, but police are uncertain whether the facility is secure, calling it a “fluid situation.”
Addressing journalists, Greenfield Police Chief Bradley Wentlandt said that a 20-year veteran law enforcement officer who first responded to the call exchanged multiple rounds with the gunman and is currently in surgery, but his condition is not known.
“Shooter down, assumed deceased,” said Wentlandt, adding that seven people are dead, “4 deceased inside and 3 outside, including the shooter.”
Police scanner reports are saying as many as 20 people may have been shot at the temple at 7512 S. Howell Ave.
Another report cited officials as saying that another suspect is still at large, a white male with a large build, wearing a white sleeveless t-shirt and last seen with 2 guns.
The Indian Embassy in Washington, DC issued a statement saying, “We have seen reports on the tragic incident earlier today of firing at a group of worshippers in a Gurudwara in the Milwaukee suburb of Oak Creek, Wisconsin.”
“The Embassy is seized of the situation and has been in touch with the National Security Council in Washington, DC. Our Consulate General in Chicago too has been in close touch with the local authorities to monitor the situation. An official has been deputed to visit the site to ascertain the situation on-the-spot,” added Virander Paul, Press Officer for the Indian Mission.
In a statement, SALDEF, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a national Sikh American civil rights organization, said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured, the survivors, their families, and the Oak Creek community.” (IATNS)