Aug. 2, 2014: On the cusp of the second anniversary of the Sikh Temple shooting, people laced up their sneakers Saturday for the Chardhi Kala 6K run in Oak Creek.
Last year, members of the Sikh community created a weekend of memorial events, including the charity run, to mark the anniversary of the temple shooting that occurred on Aug. 5, 2012. Six Sikh worshipers were killed that day when a white supremacist opened fire on the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek.
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| “Brian and Sam are very deserving of the Congressional Badge of Bravery. Their actions on August 5, 2012 exemplify courage and bravery and should be a model for all officers to follow. I am extremely proud of not only Brian and Sam, but all of the officers that responded on that day. They came together as a team and handled an extremely difficult situation.” Police Chief John Edwards City of Oak Creek |
Roughly 400 people participated in the charity run, said Mandeep Kaur, one of the run's organizers.
More commemorative events at the temple are planned for this week, including a tribute and prayer services on Sunday and a remembrance ceremony on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the Congressional Badge of Bravery will be awarded to retired Oak Creek police Lt. Brian Murphy — the first officer on the scene of the shooting, who was wounded about a dozen times by the shooter — and officer Sam Lenda. The ceremony will be held at the Oak Creek Community Center, according to a press release from the Oak Creek Police Department. The awards honor law enforcement officers who have risked their personal safety to carry out exceptional acts of bravery.