2 wounded in California gurudwara shootout; hate crime ruled out
Two persons suffered gunshot wounds on Sunday at 2:30 pm (local time) at the Bradshaw Gurudwara in Sacramento, California, United States. Both were reportedly hospitalized in critical condition, while a suspect was arrested at night. The police ruled out the possibility of a hate crime, citing personal rivalry. Reportedly, three people got into a fight on the gurudwara premises, which escalated into a shootout.
One of the shooters on the run
The incident occurred during the Sacramento Sikh Society's Nagar Kirtan parade, for which the roads were closed. Sacramento County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Amar Gandhi said that one of the three suspects was an Indian man. He claimed that the three people were fighting when Suspect 1 shot Suspect 2's friend. In retaliation, Suspect 2 shot Suspect 1 and fled but was arrested at night.
Injuries not considered life-threatening: Police
All individuals involved knew each other: Police
Gandhi said, "The individuals involved all seemed to know each other. It seemed very targeted in the fact that it wasn't some random thing that posed any danger to the other patrons other than the shooting." "The committee is humbled and sorry to all the people who showed up, and this happened," organizers of the Sikh religious parade, the first one in Sacramento, said.
Earlier shooting incidents reported near gurdwaras in the past
In 2012, a 40-year-old white supremacist shot dead six people and injured four others at a gurudwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, while a seventh victim died from his injuries in 2020. Another shooting accident in California was reported in 2019. A fugitive white man was arrested at Guru Nanak Sat Sangat Gurudwara, around 7 km from the Sikh Society Gurudwara where a shootout occurred.
US saw 44,000 gun-related deaths last year
The US has been dealing with gun shooting issues for quite some time now. The country saw around 44,000 gun-related deaths last year. Half of them were related to cases of murder, accidents, and self-defense, while the other half were suicide cases, data from the Gun Violence Archive showed. Recently, President Joe Biden issued an executive order requiring increased background checks during gun sales.
