On Monday, authorities in Northern California announced the arrest of over a dozen men from two rival criminal syndicates, whose violent feud was allegedly responsible for a mass shooting at a Sikh temple and a sword attack at a parade in 2018. According to Sutter County District Attorney Jennifer Dupré, these syndicates were involved in several shootings, including one at a Sikh temple in Stockton in 2020 and another at a temple in Sacramento last month. Although 11 people were shot in total, no fatalities were reported. All the suspects are reportedly members of the Sikh community in California and were part of the rival groups whose animosity was driven by personal relationships.
“This started out as one group, and one faction broke off, and since then they have been rivals trying to outdo each other. Mainly they show up places and try to shoot each other,” Dupré said, comparing it to the U.S. Civil War “where brothers were fighting against brothers.”
Sutter County District Attorney Jennifer Dupré clarified that the recent arrests are not linked to the 2020 murders of a Sikh family in the San Joaquin Valley, which included the killing of an infant, the parents, and an uncle. Dupré explained that the violent feud started in 2018 at the annual Sikh Parade in Yuba City, one of the largest South Asian festivals held outside of India. At the parade, a man was severely beaten with a sword to the extent that it broke, and the violence later escalated to shootings, including one at a wedding party last year. The Yuba-Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement Task Force became involved in the case, with assistance from several law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, DEA, and others.
The investigation gained momentum in March when authorities were alerted to possible violence at a Sikh parade in Sacramento. According to Dupré, police stopped two cars en route to the parade and arrested seven individuals, confiscating four handguns and two other guns with high-capacity magazines. Despite the precautionary measures, a shooting still occurred at the parade, leaving two individuals injured.
However, the prompt action by law enforcement averted a “mass casualty incident.” Yuba City has a significant Sikh community, and it’s often referred to as “mini Punjab,” named after the Indian state where many Sikhs live. Every November, tens of thousands of people flock to the city for Nagar Kirtan, one of the most prominent Sikh gatherings in the US. Sikhs have a sizable presence in California’s Central Valley, and seven of the shootings happened within the last year in Sacramento County, as per the Sacramento County Assistant Sheriff.
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