Vigil for murder in Elk Grove

By Michael Monasky

Amidst thundering diesels, horns, sirens, and rumbling wheels of northbound Highway 99 near Calvine Road, a somber, candlelight vigil of 500 people was held on a frontage road for the victims of a brutal shooting, in the very spot that it took place.

“We will not rest until those who committed this crime meet the justice they deserve”, declared 8th Assembly District Member Mariko Yamada. A prayer session was conducted by a keertania, Ranjit Singh, a member of the West Sacramento Sikh Temple. He included ecumenical reference to the victims of today’s terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Elk Grove Police Captain Bryan Noblett and Mayor Steve Detrick addressed the vigil. The mayor said that he was proud to represent the diverse community of Elk Grove, and characterized the crime as an attack on seniors.

Many civil rights activists were present; the NAACP shared condolences. Attendees included Christians, Muslims, Unitarians, Jews, Sikhs, Atheists, Hindus, and a diverse representation of the neighborhood.

Shashi Sharma, a naturalized citizen, moved to the Calvine Road area in 2005. He said that he returned from his native Fiji last Sunday. His family told him of last Friday’s shootings, where one elderly Sikh man was killed and another critically injured. Mr. Sharma said his family and neighbors were “upset because people walk at that time in the neighborhood”. He said that his house was vandalized and that there is a Neighborhood Watch and hopes there will be an effort by the community to ensure the safety of seniors.

Many students attended the vigil including Jag Veer who is a student of Middle East Studies at the University of California at Davis. He said the purpose of the vigil was to “demonstrate that we are united as Americans, to reunite the community which is a melting pot”.

Veer said that the whole community sees it as “a racial attack”, and that he “wants to see justice for those discriminated against by those who misunderstand the principles upon which America was founded”.

Dr. Jasbir Kang, a founding member of the Punjabi-American Heritage Society in Yuba City, eloquently repeated this patriotic theme. He wept. “Sikhs have been in America for over 100 years. This is not so much an attack on Sikhs as it is upon America’s core values. I do not hate those who committed this crime. Help us educate the children.” Applause erupted. The crowd quietly chanted in Punjabi: “Jo bole so nihal, sat sri aka”—he who says God is truth is blessed.

Attendees surrendered their lit candles to a row of tables with comments and signatures.

The investigation continues and involves the FBI, state, and local police. A cremation funeral service for murder victim Surinder Singh will be held Saturday, March 12, 2011 from 10 AM to 1 PM at 725 El Camino Avenue.