05/08/2012
Alarming reports are emerging from American news agencies that a hostage situation is in progress at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin.
As of 20:13 GMT, seven people are confirmed to have died with up to thirty people injured in the shootings. One police officer has also been reported to be injured during shooting exchanges but is expected to survive.
According to witness reports, the shooter is described as being a white male in his 30s. Details of the second shooter are yet unavailable.
It is feared that between three-four hundred people may be being held hostage at the Sikh Temple on one of its busiest days of the week. Journalists and broadcasters are being urged to cease live TV coverage of the Temple premises whilst police operations to secure the Temple are in progress.
Commenting on the recent developments, Varinder Singh from the Turban Campaign said: “Our prayers are with the victims, their families, the local community and all those who have been affected by this terrible turn of events. I can’t understand what may have leaded to create such an extreme situation.”
He added: “We do not know the motive behind this attack yet or who has perpetrated it. I wouldn’t want to speculate further until there is more information available on the situation. We are currently monitoring the situation closely and will be sending our condolences to the Gurdwaras (Sikh Temple) management.”
Updates:-
21:55 GMT – CNN reports that earlier news reports of multiple gunmen may be incorrect and that police have found no others. The first attacker is yet to be identified and named.
22:24 GMT – Officials are treating the shootings as ‘domestic terrorism’. Police are not revealing suspect’s name, age, race or motive in the Wisconsin temple shootings.
22:45 GMT – Officials report that two semi-automatic weapons have been found on the scene. The situation is still very fluid. President Barack Obama has issued his public statement as well as other prominent Sikh organisations in the USA, including the Sikh Coalition & SALDEF. Messages of support are reported to be flooding in.
[...] the tragic events earlier this week at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin which lead to the murder of six people in an attack orchestrated by a member of a neo-Nazi group, [...]