WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama said he and First Lady Michele Obama had been "deeply saddened" to learn Sunday of a shooting that left at least seven people dead at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.
"As we mourn this loss which took place at a house of worship, we are reminded how much our country has been enriched by Sikhs, who are a part of our broader American family," he said, in a White House statement.
Earlier, police in the Wisconsin town of Oak Creek outside Milwaukee, said a gunman had opened fire on worshippers at a suburban Sikh temple. A police officer shot the attacker, but not before another six people were dead.
"Michelle and I were deeply saddened to learn of the shooting that tragically took so many lives in Wisconsin," Obama said.
"At this difficult time, the people of Oak Creek must know that the American people have them in our thoughts and prayers, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who were killed and wounded.
"My administration will provide whatever support is necessary to the officials who are responding to this tragic shooting and moving forward with an investigation."
Sunday's mass shooting was the second to rock America in less than three weeks and will increase pressure on Obama and his opponent Mitt Romney to address the issue of gun control before November's presidential election.
Romney also issued a statement of condolence.
"Ann and I extend our thoughts and prayers to the victims of today's shooting in Wisconsin. This was a senseless act of violence and a tragedy that should never befall any house of worship," he said.
"Our hearts are with the victims, their families, and the entire Oak Creek Sikh community. We join Americans everywhere in mourning those who lost their lives and in prayer for healing in the difficult days ahead."
Last month, a gunman burst into a movie theater in Aurora, a suburb of Denver Colorado and fired into the audience, killing 12 people and wounding dozens more.
Chronology of deadliest US shootings
Listed here are some of the deadliest mass shootings in the United States over the past two decades:
-- Killeen, Texas, October 1991: A man shoots dead 22 people in a restaurant and then kills himself.
-- Littleton, Colorado, April 1999: Two teenage boys shoot and kill 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School before killing themselves.
-- Atlanta, Georgia, July 1999: A stock market trader goes on a day-long shooting rampage, killing 12 people, including his wife and two children, before taking his own life.
-- Red Lake, Minnesota, March 2005: A teenage boy kills two people at his grandfather's home on an Indian reservation and then goes to his local high school where he kills seven others before committing suicide.
-- Blacksburg, Virginia, April 2007: A student goes on a rampage at Virginia Tech, killing 32 people before committing suicide.
-- Omaha, Nebraska, December 2007: A 19-year-old man armed with an assault rifle shoots dead eight people in a shopping mall and then kills himself.
-- Covina, California, December 2008: A man dressed in a Santa Claus suit opens fire at a family party and then sets fire to the house. Nine people are killed. The gunman commits suicide.
-- Geneva County and Coffee County, Alabama, March 2009: In a shooting spree that tears through several towns, a 28-year-old unemployed man kills 10 people, including his mother and a toddler. He then kills himself.
-- North Carolina, March 2009: A heavily-armed gunman shoots dead eight people, many elderly and sick patients, in a North Carolina nursing home.
-- Binghamton, New York, April 2009. A gunman shoots dead 13 people at a civic center for immigrants.
-- Fort Hood, Texas, November 2009. US army psychologist Major Nidal Hasan opens fire at his military base, killing 13 people and wounding 42.
-- Manchester, Connecticut, August 2010: A man who complained of racism at the beer warehouse where he works goes to the facility and shoots dead eight people. He then kills himself.
-- Seal Beach, California, October 2011: A man angry over a child custody ruling opens fire at the hairdressing salon where his ex-wife works, killing her and seven other people.
-- Oikos, California, April 2012: A male nursing student methodically kills seven people at a Christian university.
-- Aurora, Colorado, Friday July 20: A man kills at least 12 people when he opens fire at a movie theater showing a late-night premiere of a 'Batman' film in a suburb of Denver.
-- Oak Creek, Wisconsin, Sunday August 5: A gunman opened fire at a Sikh temple in the US midwest, triggering a shootout which left him and at least six others dead. — Agence France Presse
source: gmanetwork.com