On Sunday morning, August 5, 2012, a gunman opened fire at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek during services. Among those shot was Baba Punjab Singh, a 72-year-old Indian Sikh priest who taught the faith’s lessons and history. He was shot in the head and suffered a severe brain injury that left him completely paralyzed and unable to speak or breathe without assistance.

The shooter, Wade Michael Page, was engaged by police at the scene, was wounded by an officer, and then died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Six worshippers were killed during the initial attack; Singh survived for nearly eight years in a nursing home, communicating only by blinking—once for no and twice for yes—until he died of complications from his wound on March 2, 2020. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, making him the seventh fatality of the shooting.

Singh’s family said his spirit of optimism remained despite his condition, and his story has been described as a symbol of resilience for the Sikh community. If anyone attended services that morning or has information about Singh’s life and time in care, please share what is known.