On August 5, gunman Wade Michael Page attacked a Sikh temple in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, killing six people before killing himself.
Following the shooting incident, the Sikh Coalition and over 150 organizations requested the Senate Judiciary Cmte. to hold an inquiry into hate crimes. Members of the coalition want Sikhs added to the federal government's list of groups targeted by hate groups.
The Senate Judiciary Subcmte. on Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights holds a hearing on hate crime and domestic extremism. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) chairs the hearing.
Witnesses included Harpreet Singh Saini, whose mother died in the attack.
Government officials on the first panel assess the extent of the threat posed by hate groups in the U.S. Witnesses include: Scott McAllister, deputy undersecretary of Homeland Security, State and Local Program Office, Office of Intelligence and Analysis; Roy L. Austin, Jr., deputy assistant attorney general, Civil Rights Division, Justice Department; and Michael A. Clancy, deputy assistant director, Counterterrorism Division, FBI.
The second panel looks at threats against the Sikh community. Along with Harpreet Singh Saini, witnesses are: Daryl Johnson, founder and owner, DT Analytics, LLC, Washington, D.C.; and James B. Jacobs, professor, Constitutional Law and the Courts, New York University School of Law, New York, N.Y.