By Dan Alexander
Six victims and one gunman is reported to be dead at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee. Greenfield police Chief Brad Wentlandt tells CNN says four people were found dead inside the temple, three dead outside; one of those outside was the gunman.
Greenfield Police Chief Bradley Wentlandt says tactical officers have been through the temple where shots were fired about 10:30 a.m. Sunday. He says they found four people inside the building and
three people outside.
He says one of those killed outside is the suspect, who fired on the first officer to arrive. Wentlandt says that officer fired back, killing the suspect. He says the officer is now at an area
hospital in surgery.
WTMJ TV reports the president of the Sikh Temple, Satwant Singh Kaleka, was said to be one of the shooting victims. It was not initially known if he survived.
Wentlandt says police do not believe a second shooter was involved. He also says the best information he has is that two people, including the officer who was shot, were taken to hospitals.
Froederdt Hospital Chief Medical Office Lee Biblo says the three victims of the shooting in suburban Oak Creek are all adult men. He did not have their identities or know why they were at the temple Sunday morning when the shootings occurred.
Biblo says one of the men is in the operating room, one has been operated on and is in a surgical intensive care unit and the third is being evaluated. He says they all had gunshot wounds to the
face, abdomen and extremities.
Biblo says he has reports from the scene that there are no other victims with serious injuries, but stressed that is preliminary information.
SIFTING THROUGH THE DETAILS
What exactly happened inside the sikh and how many gunmen were involved is still being determined.
One witness told WTMJ that at least one, possibly four gunmen were hiding inside the temple after they started shooting.
JSOnline reported at least 20 people who were shot inside the temple, the head priest locked inside a small room with a cell phone, and shooters possibly inside holding children as hostages.
Authorities have responded with a dozen ambulances and tactical units. At least two people have been taken to the main trauma hospital in the area.
20 and 25 women who were cooking a lunch in the basement for after the service and between five to 10 children had been able to leave the temple at about 1 p.m.
Sukhwindar Nagr (suk-WIN’-dahr NAG’-er), of Racine, says he called his brother-in-law’s phone and a priest at the temple answered. Nagr says the priest told him that his brother-in-law had been shot, along with three priests.
Nagr says the priest also said women and children were hiding in closets at the temple. New York Police are stepping up security at sikhs in the city in the wake of the shooting.