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Sikhs, Hindus pray together at Cary temple for Wisconsin victims

A Hindu temple in Cary held a special prayer session Monday night for the victims and families of the mass shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.

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CARY, N.C. — A Hindu temple in Cary held a special prayer session Monday night for the victims and families of the mass shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.

Six worshippers were killed in the incident, which happened Sunday night when a gunman walked into the temple and opened fire. The gunman, former Fort Bragg soldier Wade Michael Page, was shot dead by police.

Though their religions and beliefs are different, hundreds of Sikhs and Hindus gathered at the Sri Venkateswara Temple, at 121 Balaji Place, to pray together.

Paraminder Kaur Dhillon, a Sikh, said the prayer vigil was all about sharing the pain and disbelief of the tragedy in Wisconsin and embracing religious and cultural differences.

"All human beings are different. Some people have a different religion, different culture. Some have a different sexual orientation. Some with tattoos all over their bodies," Dhillon said. "But we do not hate anyone."

Raj Makam, a Hindu, said all people are connected despite their religious beliefs.

"At the end, we are all going to the same place. It's like there's a drop of water from the sky and it ends up in the sea," Makam said. "We are all the same, and everybody should understand that."

Dhillon said she was praying for both the Wisconsin victims and the gunman.

"He's a victim, too. He's a victim of hatred, He's a victim of ignorance," she said.

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