06 August,2012 07:28 AM IST | | Agencies
A police SWAT team entered the building before noon, local time and brought uninjured people out of the building. Among those who were shot was the president of the temple.
People had entered the temple early in the morning and many more were arriving for a service that was about to begin.u00a0There were reports that children were taken to the building's basement after shots were fired. The head priest was locked inside a restroom with a cell phone and that there were as many as 20 to 30 victims.
One of the temple's committee members, Ven Boba Ri, said that based on communication with people inside the temple, the shooter was a white male in his 30s.
"We have no idea," he said of the motive. "It's pretty much a hate crime. It's not an insider." According to Ri, the man started shooting after he walked up to a priest who was standing outside, and shot him.
Then he went inside and started shooting. "It's sad, I don't know how to describe it," said Ri. "Sikhism is such a peaceful religion. We have suffered for generations, in India and even here." "We're all the same. Everybody has the same blood," said temple member Jaswinder Schandock.
Authorities said the gunman was injured and an officer was also shot. u00a0
