Dozens of Sikh members cleaned up the temple yesterday where six people were murdered and four others were wounded by gunman Wade Michael Page last Sunday. Amardeep Kaleka said the blood and bullet holes were still there – and it was a haunted atmosphere until the cleanup created a more positive spirit. He called the massacre a “cardiac arrest” and a “watershed moment” for Wisconsin’s Sikh community. Kaleka made his comments at a forum attended by around 200 people last evening at Oak Creek High School. Federal and local authorities organized the public forum to answer questions and provide support for the victims and the community. The Reverend Jesse Jackson showed up at the temple to console Sikh members and pray with them. Men painted walls and cleaned carpets while women prepared a traditional communal meal. Today, thousands of mourners from throughout the U-S and several foreign countries will attend a visitation and memorial service at Oak Creek High School. Representatives from the victims’ families will speak, along with U-S Attorney General Eric Holder. There will also be numerous prayers and hymns. The visitation was supposed to last two hours, but was it extended to four hours because of the high demand. After the service, mourners will return to the temple and start a traditional two-day ceremony to honor the victims’ memories.
