A family member waits and prays to hear news about a family member inside the Sikh temple where a shooting occurred.

At least seven people, including a lone gunman who was shot by police, have been killed in an apparent hate crime attack on worshippers at a Sikh temple in the Milwaukee suburb of Oak Creek, Wis.

Police found four dead inside the temple, with three more, including the shooter, found outside.

The first officer on scene Sunday morning confronted the active shooter and exchanged gunfire with him, according to reports from Greenfield Police Chief Bradley Wentlandt.

The officer was hit multiple times, but managed to put the shooter down.

The gunman is presumed dead. His only description was a white male in his 30s.

The officer is reported to be a 20-year veteran and an extremely accomplished tactical officer. He was transported to Froedtert Hospital for surgery and is expected to survive.

Several other church members have been transported in critical condition for gunshot wounds.

There were reports of a second gunman and that hostages had been taken, but sweeps of the temple by police SWAT teams have found no other suspects.

As reported in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, people were in the temple as early as 6:30 a.m. Sunday, and many more were arriving for a service scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m.

The shooting is believed to have begun around 10:00 a.m.

The Oak Creek temple or gurdwara has a congregation of 250 to 400, according to its Web site.

More than 20 million people worldwide follow the Sikh religion, established about 500 years ago in the Punjab region of India. Devout male followers must wear long beards and their hair in a turban, and in America are sometimes mistaken for Muslims; the two religions are not affiliated. Sikhism is an offshoot of Hinduism, but unlike Hindus, who believe in multiple deities, Sikhs are monotheistic.

This shooting comes 16 days after the Dark Knight massacre in Aurora, Colo., where 12 people were killed and 58 others were wounded when a lone gunman opened fire on a crowded movie theater.