Gunshots fired at Gurudwara in California's Sacramento, two critically injured

Gunshots were fired at a Gurudwara in Sacramento County, California in the United States, ANI reported citing the sheriff's office. At around 02:30 pm local time Sunday, three people got into a brawl at the Gurudwara. Tempers soared and firing ensued. According to a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, the shooting was not a result of a hate crime, but due to a fight between two male acquaintances. The names of the people involved in the shooting have not been revealed.

The violent altercation erupted when the gurudwara was organizing its first Nagar Kirtan, a traditional neighborhood event. According to a police official of Indian origin, the incident does not pose any significant threat to the area, however, it does put a "small stain" on a peaceful day. 

The wounded victims were taken to the Kaiser Permanente hospital. While it is unclear if the suspects have been arrested,  officials were seen walking with two men in handcuffs at around 3:30 pm, before placing them in the backseat of a police car.

Spokesperson Amar Gandhi said that "suspect 2" fell to the ground when "suspect 1" shot the friend of the second suspect. After that, suspect 2 shot the first suspect and then fled the scene. “All participants in that altercation seemed to have known each other. This seems to have stemmed from something far before this,” Gandhi said.

The two men injured in the shooting remain in critical condition. Images are circulating on social media which show one of them in a wounded state, surrounded by locals. Authorities are conducting a probe into the incident. The shooting comes at a time when the United States experiences an alarming rise in gun violence and fatal mass shootings in recent years.

The US | "Two people shot at a Gurudwara in Sacramento County, California. The shooting is not related to a hate crime, it is a shootout between two men who knew each other," says Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. pic.twitter.com/zKWY58yWOY

— ANI (@ANI)

Shooting at Denver's East High School

In a bid to curb this, US President Joe Biden signed an order that seeks to strengthen the process of background checks for gun sales and purchases, stating that it is "common sense" to do so. Just last week, at least two people were injured in a shooting that occurred at a high school in Colorado's capital, Denver.