Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin Leaves 7 Dead

At a Sikh temple in Oak Creek Wisconsin earlier today at least 7 people were killed when a gunman, among those killed, went on a shooting spree. The gunman, who shot at police, severely wounding one officer, was eventually killed by police returning fire. The name of the gunman has not been released.

The Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, located near Milwaukee, sits on 13 acres of land and has a main building housing a place of worship, a library, an education center within its 17,000 square foot space.

While current estimates indicate that nearly half a million Sikhs live in the United States, the majority of the faith, estimated at about 27 million world-wide, live in India. The Sikh temple in Oak Creek Wisconsin reportedly has about 400 members.

Sikhism, founded approximately 500 years ago, comes from Southern Asia and is a monotheistic faith. Followers of the faith are often recognized by turbans which cover their uncut hair and their untrimmed beards. Reportedly the hair is not cut as it is considered sacred.

Sikhs are not Muslims, but are often mistaken for Muslims based on their dress. While the exact rationale behind the attacks today are not clear, the Sikh Coalition has reported more hundreds of incidents against its people in the wake of September 11th.

In cooperation with the local police, the FBI will reportedly be taking over the investigation of the shooting.