Police said seven people were dead, when at least three gunmen opened fire at a Gurudwara in Wisconsin in a coordinated attack during Sunday morning prayers. Up to 25 people were injured, three of them critically, amid reports that children have been taken as hostages.
President of the temple Satwant Kaleka has been injured in the shooting and has been taken to the hospital. According to Satwant's sister-in-law Parmindar Kaur, about 25 people are believed to have been injured. A Sikh priest had specially come from India to address the gathering on Sunday. Medical sources said that three people are in critical condition and have been admitted to Froedtert hospital,
The shooting at Oak Creek, just south of Wisconsin's biggest city Milwaukee, occurred at around 11 am (local time), the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reported. Oak Creek is about 1,250 km from New York.
About 300 to 400 people were reported to be at the Gurudwara, built about 6-7 years ago, and is spread over an expansive area.
A police spokesman said a law enforcement officer was shot multiple times by the unidentified shooter, who was "put down". It was not immediately known if the shooter was injured or killed.
"We do not know if there are additional shooters at the temple," he said. The officer has been transported to hospital and was expected to survive.
The spokesman said tactical operations are ongoing and that the situation was "very fluid".
The Milwaukee Sentinel reported that two shooters are possibly still inside the Gurudwara with children as hostages. Being a Sunday, the Gurudwara was likely to have been crowded.
Initial reports said a witness to the shooting told law enforcement agents that one shooter was of a heavy build, bald white male wearing a sleeveless T-shirt. He was last seen with two handguns.
"The people who started shooting are three white people," said Gurcharan Grewal, President Sikh Society.
Media reports said about 12 children have been held hostages. The president of the temple is also reportedly shot and has been rushed to the hospital, they said.
Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao described the shooting as extremely tragic and said the Embassy was in touch with the National Security Council at White House. The Consul General at Chicago is deputing an official to the spot.