Sikh Shooting Claims Second Victim

The second of two elderly Sikh men in early March died Friday.

Gurmej Atwal's granddaughter, Navi Kaur, confirmed by phone that her grandfather had passed away from injuries he sustained when an unidentified person fired on him and his friend, 65-year-old Surinder Singh, as the two walked on East Stockton Blvd.

Singh died shortly after the attack, but Atwal, 78, had remained on life support for several weeks.

"At first it seemed like he was going to get better, but then he wasn't recovering as the doctors wanted him to," Kaur said.

Atwal's passing further complicates the Elk Grove Police Department's investigation into the shooting, which many suspect was a hate crime.

Sergeant James Fuller, a spokesperson for the department, said early interviews with Atwal had led detectives to focus their search on a male shooter, possibly driving a tan Ford F150 pickup truck.

Detectives had hoped to glean more information from further conversations with Atwal, but were unable to as his condition worsened.

"This puts us in a position where we're now investigating a double homicide," Fuller said. "It remains our number-one priority with federal agents assisting and a number of detectives working on it."

Fuller said the department continues to hope that the reward for information in the case, which stands at over $50,000, will entice members of the public who may know something to come forward.

Local Sikh leaders released a statement lamenting the passing of Atwal, a former civil servant from the Indian state of Punjab who lived with his son's family near the spot where he was attacked.

"The Sikh Community is in mourning after learning of Mr. Atwal's passing," said Darshan Mundy, Public Relations Officer for the Sacramento Sikh Temple. "Mr. Atwal fought valiantly to recover after the shooting. We all hoped that he would be able to overcome the critical injuries. Now, we must rely on our faith as we support the family in making it through this difficult time."

Anyone with information about the crime can leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP (4357).