"It is a hard time:" 48 hours of continuous prayer comes to an end; anniversary of Sikh Temple shooting approaches
OAK CREEK (WITI) -- The two-year anniversary is this Tuesday, August 5th. Two years ago, a gunman opened fire inside the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek. When all was said and done, six people had lost their lives, and four others were injured -- including Oak Creek Police Lieutenant Brian Murphy -- the first officer on scene.
Members of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek spent the weekend paying homage to the victims of this tragedy.
On Friday, August 1st, members of the Sikh Temple began four days of memorials -- reciting the Sikh Holy Book for 48 hours.
On Saturday, members of the Sikh community took part in a memorial run/walk -- the second "Chardhi Kala 6K." The Punjabi name refers to a state of constant optimism, which reflects an acceptance of God's will.
On Tuesday, August 5th, the actual two-year anniversary of the shooting, a remembrance ceremony is planned.
Sunday, August 3rd marked the end of 48 hours of continuous prayer and meditation at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek. Worshippers and supporters have come from across the country to join in remembering the day two years ago, when tragedy struck.
While the anniversary of the mass shooting is an opportunity to come together, it's also a day when six families remember their loved ones -- gunned down at the hands of a white supremacist living in Cudahy.
"It's a hard time. It's two years ago, but I miss my dad a lot," Palmeet Kaur Rathor said.
Rathor was inside the Sikh Temple as Wade Michael Page entered on a sunny August morning -- killing six and wounding four, before taking his own life.
Rathor's father, Prakash Singh was one of the six killed.
"We just went to the basement and then I saw my dad. He got shot over here. We were hiding in the bathroom," Rathor said.
Officials believe Page thought he was targeting Muslims -- though his motive for the shooting may likely never be known.
A representative from the National Sikh Campaign in Washington, D.C. told worshippers there will be a wide-reaching effort, with television ads, and other outreach in an attempt to educate the public about Sikhism.
"We believe that all people have the right to practice their faith -- whether they are Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh," Gurwin Singh with the National Sikh Campaign said.
In the meantime, a young woman's loss speaks for a senseless tragedy stemming from hate.
"This is a hard time. My dad's dying is hard. I remember that day. I was crying," Rathor said.
CLICK HERE to view a collection of stories on the Sikh Temple shooting over the past two years, via FOX6Now.com.