Crime & Safety

Roswell's Sikh Congregation Responds to Sunday Shooting

Local members of Sikh Educational Welfare Association Gurudwara Sahib on Woodstock Road in Roswell are shocked by the Sunday shooting at a temple in Wisconsin.

The Sikh Educational Welfare Association (SEWA) Gurudwara Sahib congregation in Roswell is thinking and praying for everyone affected by the killing of seven people at the  in Oak Creek, WI, Sunday.

Parvinder Singh, who handles public relations for SEWA, told Roswell Patch local Sikhs are stunned by the news and can "only hope it was random and not an act of hate."

, several people - including a police officer - were shot at the temple Sunday morning. Oak Creek Police said three bodies were found outside the temple and four, including the lone gunman, were inside the building.

Find out what's happening in Roswellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Our heart goes out to all those who were shot and the families of those who died," said Singh. "We sincerely hope and pray that those who've suffered have the god-given strength to go on with their lives."

Singh praised the first-responding police officer who is credited in early reports with deescalating the situation.

Find out what's happening in Roswellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"He was brave and and put his life in danger. Without him it would have been much worse. He’s a hero in this incident."

Oak Creek Patch reports that the officer, a 20-year veteran of the Oak Creek department, was in surgery Sunday afternoon.

According to the SEWA website, Sikhism is one of the youngest world religions. Its values are based in universalism, liberalism, humanism and pluralism.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.