2 shot at Sikh temple along Bradshaw Road in Sacramento County
SACRAMENTO — At least two people were shot at a Sikh temple along Bradshaw Road in Sacramento County on Sunday.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said the shooting happened at around 2:30 p.m. and started as a fight between two men. One of the men pulled out a gun and fired it at the other. Investigators said a friend of the person who was shot then returned fire.
The sheriff's office said the two people who were shot were stable in the hospital and were expected to survive.
The second shooter, identified as 22-year-old Karman Singh Sandhu, remained at large for some time but has since been taken into custody. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday afternoon on attempted murder charges.
The sheriff's office also said all involved parties were accounted for.
The shooting happened at the same temple where the Nagar Kirtan Festival was held Sunday morning. Investigators at the scene said they would be attempting to interview people who were in attendance.
Majit Khehra said she is lucky. She happened to be shopping on the other side of the festival at the time of the shooting.
"[It was] scary. Just in case we had decided to go into the church first, who knows, we may have been involved in it one way or another," she said.
Sgt. Amar Gandhi, the spokesperson for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, said the involved parties seemingly knew each other.
"This didn't just stem out of nothing," he said.
The event, which draws thousands of people, is a traditional religious celebration and was the first of its kind to be held at the temple.
Authorities say, given the number of people there, it could have been much worse.
"The danger that it posed to all of them, that's what caused us just disgust and the absolute reckless abandon for that," Sgt. Gandhi said.
Meanwhile, Khehra said she was glad no bystanders were injured.
"It is my hope that the two youngsters survive and learn a lesson that it's not appropriate to shoot," she said. "They could have died today."