Local Sikhs react to Wisconsin shooting - WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC

Local Sikhs react to Wisconsin shooting

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CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Inderjeet Rajpal, Vice President of Sikh Heritage Society of Greater Charlotte learned the news around noon.

Seven people, including a gunman were dead at a Wisconsin Sikh temple.

Calls were coming in from reporters wanting to know his reaction to the shooting.

Rajpal says people were at the local temple praying. He spent the next couple of hours on the computer waiting for updates.

"Shock and utter disbelief that this would happen at a house of prayer," Rajpal said.

He says an incident like this can highlight how little people know about Sikhism.

And it makes them think about how they can better educate the public.

Sikhism, Rajpal points out is a peaceful religion that highlights equality for all people

"Especially after 9-11, because of our appearance, people mistake us for being closer to the fundamentalist terrorist groups which we are no where near to," Rajpal said.

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