Sacramento: Two people were shot at a Gurudwara in Sacramento County, California on Sunday, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff’s office stated the shooting occurred around 2:30 p.m. (local time) at the Gurdwara Sacramento Sikh Society temple.
Both of the victims are in critical condition, the sheriff’s office said.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Amar Gandhi said the shooting is not related to a hate crime and described the incident as a shootout between two men who knew each other.
Sgt. Gandhi said three people were involved in a fight that escalated into a shooting. He said “suspect 2” was down when “suspect 1” shot suspect 2’s friend. Suspect 2 then shot suspect 1 before taking off.
“All participants in that altercation seemed to have known each other. This seems to have stemmed from something far before this,” Sgt. Gandhi added.
The investigation of the incident is underway.
The Gurudwara where the fight broke out was celebrating its first Nagar Kirtan Sikh Parade when the incident took place.
Gandhi told Sacramento Bee, “It puts a small stain on this peaceful, very joyous day.”
Sikh society responds
Branding the unforeseen incident as “unfortunate”, The Bradshaw Sikh Society said that the people involved in the fight were not part of the parade and that they showed up after the parade left.
“The Bradshaw Sikh Society hosted its first Sikh Parade with thousands of congregants from the region. The parade was peaceful and a celebration of faith. It is unfortunate that a few misguided people tried to ruin a cultural and religious event,” the group said in a Facebook post.
It added, “A shooting occurred at the Gurdwara while the parade was in procession. We hope the culprit(s) is punished to the fullest extent of the law. They were not a part of the parade and showed up after the parade left hours earlier. These displays of violence go against our Sikh faith. We regret any inconvenience and fear this may have caused. We are strong and resilient together.”
With inputs from ANI
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