A police officer being hailed for saving lives during the shootings at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin is the brother of a retired NYPD detective.
Oak Creek Police Lt. Brian Murphy grew up in Brooklyn and moved to the Midwest about 20 years ago.
Murphy was ambushed, shot nine times and left for dead during the shootings that killed six worshippers. He remains in critical condition.
He's the brother of Detective Terry Murphy, who worked in the NYPD's intelligence division until last month.
Meanwhile, police in New York City are stepping up patrols around Sikh temples as a precaution following the Sunday morning shooting in Wisconsin that left seven dead.
Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly attended a prayer service inside the Richmond Hill temple Monday afternoon. They later spoke to the press, and Bloomberg decried what he called the "deafening silence" of the presidential candidates on the issue of gun control.
Bloomberg said the NYPD was taking precautionary steps -- "some visible and some not" -- to keep the Sikh community safe.
"When we received information of the shootings we immediately dispatched additional resources to Sikh temples here in New York," Kelly said Monday. "I can assure you that we're going to continue to monitor this issue, we're going to keep our presence at these locations in place and we're going to make that determination on a daily basis."
About 15,000 Sikhs live in the Richmond Hill area, Bloomberg said.
"This is a very close-knit and hardworking community; one whose faith urges them to practice self discipline and good deeds towards others," Bloomberg said.
Members of the community said the NYPD's quick action made them feel safer.
"Since the incident happened, the NYPD came right over here and go over to all our other temples and we feel safe, we feel the confidence in our NYPD," said
Gurdev Singh Kang, president of the Sikh Cultural Society in Richmond Hill, Queens. "I appeal to our whole Sikh community, be peaceful."
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