Five days after the tragic shooting incident inside its premises which resulted in the death of six Sikh worshippers, the Wisconsin Gurdwara was today opened for the public.
The local police handed over the Oak Creek Gurudwara to its management which immediately started the cleaning of the entire premises, with authorities saying that it is now open for the public. “It is now open for the public,” Jagajit Singh Sandhu, member of the temple committee told PTI.
The Gurudwara was handed over to the management early this morning, following which the management started the cleaning purpose “We expect the cleaning to be over soon, but it is open for the public now,” Singh said.
Built in 1997 to meet the needs of the local Sikh community, the Gurudwara was the scene of a tragic incident on Sunday when a lone gunman identified as Wade Michael Page, 41, on a shooting rampage, to kill six Sikh worshippers last Sunday. Page, the FBI said died of self-inflicted injuries, but the motive of his killing is not clear yet. Following the incident, the FBI and the local police took over the entire premises of the temple for its investigation.
During his meeting with the Indian Ambassador to the US, Nirupama Rao, the Oak Creek Mayor, Steve Scaffidi, informed her of the steps he would take for the security of the Gurudwara. Four of the six dead were Indian nationals.
The temple management has announced that it would hold “wake and visitation” tomorrow at a city high school, which is expected to be attended by thousands of people. Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal is also expected to be present at the ceremony.
The funeral is also scheduled for Friday. The Sikh Temple also urged people to consider sending donations to the Gurudwara in lieu of flowers. The management has created a memorial fund for those who were killed in the incident.