Investigation in Lowell after fatal shooting in parking lot

When officers responded to reports of gunshots, they found three people injured upon arrival, the statement said.

Two men suffered apparent gunshot wounds and were taken to a hospital. One of the men, 43, of Lowell, died at the hospital. The other man, 34, remains hospitalized. His condition was unknown Saturday.

Another person, a 26-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries and was able to take herself to the hospital, Ryan’s office said.

A large crime scene was set up in the early hours of the morning, delaying the opening of the congress by two hours, organizers said.

By noon, the tape in the temple parking lot was gone. Instead, bouncy castles, tents and seating were set up outside for a weekend convention organized by Doloma Parivar USA.

The Jhulasan Gham Convention takes place every two years in different cities and attracts people from the village Jhulasan in Gujarat, India, who now live abroad, mainly in the United States and Canada.

The congress was scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. but was postponed to 10 a.m.

Some people who arrived early were shocked by the crime scene.

Pratham Patel, 22, was out with his cousins ​​when his mother, who was already at the temple, called him and told him about the shooting.

At first, he and his cousins ​​panicked, he said. Patel saw yellow tape “everywhere” and police officers cordoning off the parking lot. He also spotted blood.

But his mother seemed calm on the phone and told him the accident scene was safe, he said.

So he and his cousins ​​parked and walked to the temple to attend the meeting.

People were “partying and stuff” when Patel and his cousins ​​arrived, he said. “So we thought, ‘OK, it should be fine.'”

In an official statement, the temple reiterated that the shooting was “in no way related” to the facility and did not involve volunteers, guests or swamis (male Hindu religious teachers).

“We all pray for those affected by this event and hope that they can find peace and happiness in their lives,” the statement said.

The investigation by Lowell Police and State Police assigned to Ryan’s office is ongoing.

You can reach Natalie La Roche Pietri at [email protected]. Follow her @natalaroche.