Decade of healing: Oak Creek reflects on 10th anniversary of Sikh Temple mass shooting

OAK CREEK, Wis. (CBS 58) -- This Friday marks a tragic anniversary in the Oak Creek community.

Nearly 10 years ago, on Aug. 5, 2012, a gunman open fired in the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin.

Seven people died.

"It doesn't feel like 10 years have passed," Jaspreet Kaleka said.

An act intending to tear the Sikh community apart only brought them closer together.

"We are true and genuine to our faith and our faith calls on us to be open, even in the midst of fear," Pardeep Singh Kaleka said.

Oak Creek is wrapping its arms around the temple as the anniversary approaches.

"We're continually healing," Oak Creek Police Chief Dave Stecker said. "We're working on, you know, just making sure that we're all being better."

The police chief and the mayor say Oak Creek strives to make everyone feel welcome and safe.

"You really have to look at the Sikh community itself, the resiliency in how they handled the situation really defined how Oak Creek healed," Mayor Dan Bukiewicz said.

While the Sikh community has felt that support, they recognize there's still work to be done.

"We haven’t done enough to teach everybody who we are," Kaleka said.

But if the community is willing to learn, the Sikh community is more than willing to share their religion with them.

"It's safe to say that that's what we're celebrating on Friday and Saturday -- is really just how the entire community would not let hope die," Singh Kaleka said.

The Sikh community is inviting everyone to join them in remembering the lives lost during a vigil on Friday from 6-9 p.m. at the temple in Oak Creek.