Men shot outside Sikh Temple

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Latest News: 2008


Two men are shot, one fatally at cricket

Sacramento Sheriff's deputies interview spectators as they leave a parking lot after attending a cricket match where two men were shot on Sunday.
Randall Benton

Crowd attacks suspect with hockey sticks and cricket bats by Chris Bowman on August 31, 2008

Two men attending an Indian cricket match in south Sacramento were shot - one fatally - by two men who apparently had targeted them, authorities said Sunday afternoon.

The brazen attack occurred at 1:20 p.m. in front of a crowd, prompting several spectators to go after one of the suspects with cricket bats and field hockey sticks, according to Sacramento Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran.

Curran said the suspect was beaten and held by the crowd until deputies arrived. That suspect was taken to UC Davis Medical Center. His alleged accomplice, officials said, apparently got away.

Deputies cordoned off several playing fields, and held hundreds of spectators at the parking lot until they could interview them after organizers cancelled the tournament.

The process was lasting more than four hours as deputies tried to find witnesses.

The incident occurred on playing fields next to a Sikh temple at Bradshaw and Gerber roads in south Sacramento. East Indians from California, Arizona and Western Canada were participating in the second annual two-day Gurmukh Singh Johal Memorial Tournament, sponsored by the Sacramento Sikh Society.

During the event, several games were occurring at the same time. Most were watching the field hockey game, but a number were watching the cricket match.

Sgt. Curran said the suspect apparently planned to find their targets at the event. "We believe the victims were targeted, and the suspects knew the victims were here, " he said.

None of the suspects or victims identities were available Sunday afternoon. The man who was killed was believed to be 29 years old. The other man was wounded in the leg but was expected to survive, officials said.

One Dead, One Wounded in Sikh Temple Shooting

Spectators concerned by the events

News10/KXTV news by Jason Kobely on August 31, 2008

One man was killed and another was wounded after what authorities called a targeted shooting outside a Sacramento Sikh temple Sunday afternoon.

Bystanders were able to subdue one of the gunmen, while a second was able to escape, a Sacramento County sheriff's spokesman said.

The shooting happened near the Sacramento Sikh Society building at 7676 Bradshaw Road just before 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Sacramento County sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran said.

Curran said the victims were attending a regional Sikh sports tournament going on next to the temple, when the gunmen approached and fired several shots.

One of the victims died at the scene. A second, identified only as a 38-year-old man, was shot in the leg. He was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Curran said. The names of the victims were not released pending family notification.

Witnesses said spectators and athletes near the shooting were able to rush and grab one of the gunmen, beat him into submission before officers arrived.

"I just saw people running and shooting. I saw (the crowd) beating the guy they caught," witness Sean Virk said.

"The crowd was armed with cricket bats and field hockey sticks," Curran said. "(The crowd) didn't hold back the fact that they hit him."

Curran said the gunman was hospitalized with several blunt force injuries and was expected to be charged upon his release.

The second gunman was able to escape the scene. Investigators were compiling a description of the attacker.

Investigators said a previous conflict between the victims and the gunmen led to the shooting, Curran said. There was no indication the shooting was gang-related.


  • The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department has named Amandeep Singh Dhami as a person of interest in the case.

Video links

The scene outside the Sikh Temple
  • cbs13.com Shooting At Sikh Temple Leaves One Dead
  • yahoo.com One killed in Sikh Temple shooting