2 Sikhs shot in Sacramento area; $30,000 reward offered

A $30,000 reward has been offered in the case of two elderly men who were shot -- one fatally -- while they took an afternoon walk in the Sacramento suburb of Elk Grove.

Police found Surinder Singh, 65, and Gurmej Atwal, 78, on the sidewalk about 4:30 p.m. Friday, each with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper torso. Singh was pronounced dead at the scene and Atwal remains hospitalized in critical condition.

The case has puzzled investigators and left the Northern California Sikh community reeling with fear and anger.

Elk Grove police are investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime, in part because the men wore traditional Sikh turbans. But detectives have yet to find any evidence of such a crime, a spokesman said.

“The city of Elk Grove is a marvelously diverse community and the possibility that one of our valued community groups might have been targeted because of their national origin or religion is of grave concern,” Elk Grove Police Chief Robert M. Lehner said in a statement over the weekend.

The shooting has sent shock waves through the Sacramento area’s sizable Sikh community, which has in the last few days collected enough money for a $30,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the shooter. 

The victims were described as retired neighbors who went on afternoon walks together. 

Darshan Singh Mundy, a community leader, said fear over the shooting has left some Sacramento-area Sikhs shut inside their homes and scared to emerge for traditional afternoon walks.

“The two families are shocked and this is a totally brutal killing,” he said, "for people to be walking around and someone to just be shot for no reason.”

Mundy said the men may have been targeted because they wore beards and turbans and may have been confused for Muslims.

In an unrelated incident in November, two men attacked a Sikh taxi driver in Sacramento after mistaking him for a Muslim. One of the men admitted Monday in a no-contest plea to committing a hate crime.

Elk Grove police have been interviewing possible witnesses but have not spoken to anyone who witnessed the crime. A passerby found the two men on a somewhat isolated stretch of road next to the 99 Freeway that is sheltered from nearby homes by a high sound barrier.

Adding to the complications, investigators have had great difficulty interviewing Atwal, the hospitalized victim, because he was so badly injured that he is physically unable to speak.

“We’re basically having to rely on head nods,” said Officer Christopher Trim.

Police have few leads for now, but they are looking for a tan or light brown 1999 to 2003 Ford F150 pickup truck seen driving near the crime scene immediately after the shooting.

Detectives urged anyone with more information to call the Elk Grove Police Department at (916) 714-5115.

ALSO:

Bell voters hit the polls to decide city's future

California's Latino population increases, Inland areas boom, U.S. Census finds

Crime alerts for Pico-Robertson, Windsor Square and eight other L.A. neighborhoods

-- Tony Barboza

that has puzzled police and left the northern California Sikh community reeling with fear and anger.

Comments

[outrage in LA]

Since when does wearing a beard and turban permit murder, or for that matter, mistrust and unlawful searches?

In this climate of fear and confusion (thank you Glenn Beck, Rush, Brigitte Gabriel, elected officials, and even our own intolerant neighbors), we're a society in deep decline, sowing the seeds for a country that is moving further away from the vision set forth by Dr. King.

RIP, to the man taking an afternoon walk in a suburb.

[newshawk]

outrage in LA - as you continue to use politics as a crutch and blame others for senseless actions. People like you never fail to promote your own brand of hate whenever the occasion arises but you gladly point out the flaws you purport to see in others. Look in the mirror. Ignorance doesn't look good on anyone.

To those murdered, I pray your families are comforted.

[Keladon]

I totally disagree with the comments saying that Sikhs need to show that we are 'Americans'. We share some ideas with American culture but much of our ideas are totally different. The most blatant part of this is feminism. In Sikhism men and women are both equal but none of the Gurus would condone the Western's woman idea of equality. It is an affront to God. We also don't drink or smoke tobacco. In the USA everyone does. American culture is a great threat to the civilised world. It is like a cancer that left unchecked will swallow up all that is holy and normal. We have already spent 200 years out of the last 250 under the yoke of the West, in the form of Great Britain ruling us. Let us not spend another 200 under them by succumbbing to blind imitation of everything western. I find that Islam is much more balanced in this regard. While Sikhism and Islam have been enemies we still share much in common, particularly on the role of chastity for females and respect for elders.

A Proud Indian Sikh

[Jim]

Proud Indian Sikh,

Thanks for posing as a Sikh however you don't sound remotely close to one. More of either a redneck trying to fan flames, a muslim attempting an ill-thought out 'union' of radical Islam and Sikhism in the readers eye, or some shady hindu nationalist. Either way, your 'definition' of Sikhism and 'Being American' is both lame and inflammatory.

[A Sikh]

re: A Proud Indian Sikh

Western women are as pure or impure as women elsewhere so to single them out as being impure is wrong.

Sikh definition of purity is very different from that of Islam and how Islam enforces it. When it comes to pure living, Sikhism does not single out women but also all men irrespective of culture, religion and other differences. There is no special place for men compared to women. The Sikh goal is for all of humanity... men and women... to become pure in deed and thought through pure and truthful living. It is to this end that all Sikhs strive with each having attained a different level as they move toward the finish line.

American culture is not a threat to the world. America has and will continue to share with the world some of its great ideals. These kind of hate crimes are mostly due to ignorance among some Americans about other cultures. In time this ignorance will fade away. Let us hope it is sooner than later.

Deep symathy to the family of the victims.

A Proud Sikh-American

[Singh]

Wow, As a Sikh I had to post just to refute the astonishing lies posted by "A Proud Indian Sikh". Simply put, there is NO WAY that he is an actual Sikh. He is most definitely some type of provocateur trying to sow further confusion. A cursory look into Sikh values show that they are almost IDENTICAL to American values. Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Full Equality between the sexes are all principles that were preached by our Guru's 500 years ago.

Anyone saying American values are a threat to the world is a clueless, ignorant person. American values and principles are as close to perfect as we've seen in world history. That's not to say that the EXECUTION of those ideas are perfect. There is always room for criticism in that department seeing as how it's politicians and bureaucrats who implement the principles. The ideas and principles on their own, however, are flawless.

[Harjit Singh]

"A Proud Sikh":

(Keladon)

Sounds like a Muslim trying to get more Sikhs killed. His community's attempts to wipe us out in 17th and 18th centuries having failed.

Not that too many Americans know of the deep seated and implacable hatred that exists (for good reason) between Sikhs and Muslims.

Politically incorrect, I know.

- an actual turban wearing Sikh

PS: Not that it needs any comment, but the present Western treatment of women is what Sikh views of women would logically lead to, if not held back by the highly patriarchal culture of Punjab (India).