Charleston shooting revives 2012 gurdwara attack memories

The shootout inside a black church in South Carolina that claimed nine lives has revived memories of the grisly 2012 shooting rampage at a Wisconsin Gurdwara that had killed six Sikhs.
Dylann Roof, 21, murdered nine people, including pastor and South Carolina State Senator Clementa Pinckney, during a prayer meeting at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston on Wednesday night.
He was later arrested and has reportedly told investigators that he wanted to start a race war.
In August 2012, a White supremacist had gone on a shooting rampage inside the Wisconsin Gurdwara that had shocked the consciousness of the entire nation.

The Indian-American community has joined Americans in mourning the loss of those killed in this shootout by Roof.
"From Charleston to Oak Creek, we are all grieving today, but we must take action to prevent this violence from happening again," said Sapreet Kaur, executive director of the Sikh Coalition.

In a statement, the Sikh American community extended its deepest condolences to the families and friends of nine African-American worshippers, who were brutally murdered by "this hate-filled bigot" at the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) in Charleston, South Carolina.
"As Americans, we're heartbroken to once again bear witness to another brutal act of hateful violence directed at a faith community at their place of worship," Kaur said.

"As Sikhs, we remember the 2012 Oak Creek, Wisconsin tragedy like it was yesterday. We are anguished by the knowledge that another community must endure the same pain and suffering. Our thoughts, prayers, and love are with all of those involved and impacted by this deadly violence," she said.
On August 5, 2012, a neo-Nazi walked into a Gurdwara in Wisconsin and killed six innocent Sikhs.
At the time, it was the most deadly act of violence at an American place of worship since the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama.
"The tragedy last night is another horrific reminder that the problems of hate violence and domestic extremism in America pose grave threats to the security of our nation," the Sikh Coalition said in a statement.

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) said the attack in South Carolina follows a pattern of violence targeting houses of worship nationally, motivated by racial, ethnic, and religious animus.
After a series of attacks and vandalism of Hindu temples in recent months, HAF released a Guide on Temple Safety and Security to help the Hindu community protect itself against cases of violence.
"That such a senseless act of hate should occur in a house of worship, where thousands have gathered in prayer and peace, is all the more tragic," said Suhag Shukla, HAF's executive director.
The church shooting is being investigated as a hate crime.