The Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting on Sunday came as a shock to the hundreds of Sikh living in central Ohio.
The main pillars of the Sikh religion are equality, inclusion, peace and service to others.
Doctor Mukesh Rangwani said that he observed a moment of silence no Monday to remember the six people who were shot on Sunday.
A gunman killed six people Sunday before he was shot to death by police. Police identified the gunman as Wade Michael Page, a 40-year-old Army veteran and former leader of a white supremacist heavy metal band.
“We prayed for the people we lost – friends, brothers, sisters,” Rangwani said.
Rangwani offered more prayers inside the Gurdwara Sahib Sikh temple on the west side. He said his three children were scared to go to the temple this weekend.
He said that the pain of the shooting – what he called a “senseless act of terrorism” -- would be felt for some time.
“It was really devastating for everybody in this community and all over the world,” Rangwani said.
Rangwani said that he wondered what caused the gunman to go on a killing spree and why his fellow Sikh were the target.
“It must be a very sick person who can do that; not anybody in their right frame of mind will do what he did,” Rangwani said.
Community members were already rallying around the victims, offering moral and even monetary support to help the affected families.
“We believe in nonviolence – to love everybody and help out everybody,” Rangwani said.
The Gurdwara temple planned on holding prayer services from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday and at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, marking the exact time the shooting occurred.
The services are open to the public.
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