CTVNews.ca Staff
Published Monday, Aug. 6, 2012 7:19AM EDT
Last Updated Monday, Aug. 6, 2012 11:22AM EDT
A former U.S. serviceman with ties to white supremacists groups was behind the shootings at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin Sunday morning that claimed six lives, say reports.
Police have identified him as Wade Michael Page, 40.
Page was killed by police Sunday, but not before he was able to shoot and kill five men and one woman at The Sikh Temple of Wisconsin. Three others were critically wounded, including a police officer.
Page joined the U.S. Army in 1992 and worked as a specialist in psychological operations. According to reports, Page had a history of drunken conduct while on duty and had his rank reduced from sergeant to specialist.
He was eventually discharged in 1998, according to a defence official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, a non-profit civil rights organization, says Page was a "frustrated neo-Nazi" who led a white supremacist rock band.
Page told a white supremacist website in a 2010 interview that he had been part of the white-power music scene since 2000. He said his "inspiration was based on frustration that we have the potential to accomplish so much more as individuals and a society in whole.”
Police say the shooter worked alone and was armed with a nine-millimetre, semi-automatic handgun.
Worshippers at the temple said they had never seen the gunman before the massacre, but he seemed like he had a purpose and knew where he was going. They said he didn’t say a word as he entered the temple; he just walked in and began shooting.
American Sikhs say they have often faced harassment, and occasionally violent attacks, since the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Although those attacks were carried out by Muslims linked to al Qaeda, many Americans do not understand that Sikhs are not Muslims, Sikh leaders say.
Sikhism is a monotheistic faith founded in South Asia, more than 500 years ago. Though it is the fifth-largest religion in the world, there are only about 500,000 Sikhs in the United States.
The FBI will be leading the rest of the investigation because the shootings are being treated as “domestic terrorism.” They have not provided any details about what they might know about a possible motive.
"While the FBI is investigating whether this matter might be an act of domestic terrorism, no motive has been determined at this time," Teresa Carlson, Special Agent in Charge with the agency's Milwaukee division, said in a statement Sunday night.
By late Sunday evening, police and the FBI had evacuated a number of homes in the nearby neighbourhood of Cudahy, about nine kilometres northeast of the temple, where the gunman lived. They roped off four blocks that included a mix of duplexes and single-family homes.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent Tom Ahern said warrants were served at the gunman's home.
On Monday morning, residents were allowed to return to their homes.
The shooting began just before 10:30 a.m. local time Sunday during a regular morning service.
One of the first officers to respond to a 911 call for help was ambushed in the parking lot by the gunman as he tried to tend to two fatally-wounded victims outside. The officer was shot eight to nine times.
A second officer then exchanged gunfire with the suspect, and shot the gunman dead.
The wounded officer was in critical condition, but was expected to survive.
Police in tactical gear and carrying assault rifles then surrounded the temple amid fears that several shooters were holding women and children hostage inside. When the tactical units eventually went inside, they found four more bodies.
Dr. Lee Biblo, the chief medical officer at Froedtert Hospital, told reporters Sunday that doctors are caring for three injured victims, including the wounded officer. Biblo said all three are adult males and all remain in critical condition.
The mayor of Oak Creek, Steve Scaffidi, said the city is outraged at the violent act and is grieving with the families of the victims.
U.S. President Barack Obama released a statemen expressing his support for the families of the victims and survivors and praising the contributions Sikh-Americans have made to the country.
“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,” read the statement.
Sunday’s shooting came barely two weeks after a public shooting in a movie theatre claimed the lives of 12 people in Aurora, Colo.
With files from The Associated Press
