Sikh Temple holds candelight vigil for spa shooting victims

Sikh community lights candles, prays for spa shooting victims

OAK CREEK -- A candelight vigil was held at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek on Sunday evening, October 21st. This, after a shooting at the Azana Salon & Spa in Brookfield early Sunday afternoon that left three dead and four wounded. The gunman, 45-year-old Radcliffe Haughton was found dead Sunday evening inside the salon building.

Sunday night, candles were placed around what Sikhs call the "Nishan Sahib" -- a sacred flag that can be seen from far away.

Sikh Temple members held a vigil in honor of the Brookfield shooting victims because they understand the kind of grief the victims' families may be experiencing. To this day, they're dealing with the aftermath of their own mass shooting incident nearly 80 days ago.

"I got the same kind of sinking feeling in my stomach. I got mad a little bit, and then I was like 'oh well -- let's go be useful,'" Sikh Temple member Gurmukh Singh said. Singh was on the scene volunteering with the Salvation Army Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, two members of the Sikh community were at the scene of the shooting with the Salvation Army Disaster Service team. They were consoling families and assisting in any other way they could.

"I felt a really deep connection to them. I felt like I understood that type of grief. It was very difficult," Singh said.

"I tried to block everything, and tried to do our job, but I found myself subconsciously thinking about August 5th and going back to then. It kept triggering memories, and I just tried to be there for the victims. The ones that have lost family or loved ones inside -- I want them to know that it does get better. It takes awhile, and everybody's on an individual basis, but I promise it will get better for them," Pardeep Kaleka said.

Members of Sikh Temple console families of victims

Six people were shot and killed on Sunday, August 5th at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek. Following Oak Creek's shooting, the suspected gunman, 40-year-old Wade Michael Page took his life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

The last of the wounded in the Sikh Temple shooting, Punjab Singh, was just released from the hospital on Wednesday, October 17th.

CLICK HERE for additional coverage of the Azana Salon & Spa shooting via FOX6Now.com.

CLICK HERE for additional Sikh Temple shooting coverage via FOX6Now.com.