WASHINGTON: Four of the six victims killed in the tragic shooting incident at an American Gurudwara are Indian nationals, one of them being a recent visitor from India.
The worshippers who fell victim to the former soldier’s bullets were Sita Singh (41 male), Ranjeet Singh (49 male), Satwant Singh Kaleka (62 male), Prakash Singh (39 male), Paramjeet Kaur (41 female) and Shobaik Singh (84 male).
The Indian Embassy disclosed the names of those killed in the shooting, and said four of them were Indian nationals but did not confirm who among them were Indians.
Two senior Indian officials – Datta Padsalgikar, who is Minister for Community Affairs in the Indian Embassy in Washington along with Consul N J Gangte from the Indian Consulate in Chicago, visited the site of the incident today, and interacted with local officials, FBI and community representatives, an Embassy spokesman said.
Earlier in the day, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, called the Indian Ambassador to the US, Nirupama Rao, who assured him that the Embassy would offer all possible support to victims of the Oak Creek killings.
“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and the Sikh community. This is a tragic incident, especially since it happened in a place of worship. Religious freedom and religious tolerance are fundamental pillars of US society,” State Department spokesman, Patrick Ventrell, told reporters at his daily news conference.
In another statement, the Indian National Overseas Congress (INOC-USA) “strongly condemned” this dastardly act in Wisconsin.
“The violence at the Sikh Gurudwara in Oak Creek is absolutely deplorable and it has no place in a civilized society such as ours,” said George Abraham, INOC president. -PTI
