Sikh Temple Shooting; 7 Dead Oak Creek, Wisconsin

[LOVE SONGS]

Todays' recent news

Police have not given any details on the motive of the shooter, but Teresa Carlson, the FBI's special agent in charge, said today, "We are looking at ties to white supremacist groups."

Earlier, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco; Firearms Special Agent Thomas Ahern said Page had tattoos that suggested he had ties to white supremacists.

Page is fronted a white supremacist rock band called End Apathy, according to watchdog group the Southern Poverty Law Center.

SPLC also determined that in 2000, Page attempted to purchase goods from the neo-Nazi group the National Alliance, described as America's then "most important hate group."

In 2010, Page gave an interview to white-power website Label 56. Page wrote songs with titles like "Self Destruct" and "Usefull [sic] Idiots."

"The inspiration was based on frustration that we have the potential to accomplish so much more as individuals and a society in whole," Page told Label 56.

The ATF today said Page legally purchased the 9mm handgun with multiple ammunition magazines, he used during the rampage. The weapon bought at The Shooters Shop in West Allis, Wisc., sources told ABC News.

Carlson and other officials said investigators had no "reason to believe" Page was planning Sunday's attack.

"We didn't have an active investigation into him prior to yesterday," she told reporters today.

On Sunday the FBI and a bomb squad arrived at a home in Cudahy, Wis., near Oak Creek, and ABC News Milwaukee affiliate WISN reported the action appeared to be related to the temple shootings earlier in the day.

"The officer stopped a tragic event that could've been a lot worse," Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards told reporters.

Four people were found dead inside the temple and two others were found dead outside the building.

Edwards said authorities were treating the event as a domestic terrorism incident and the FBI would be conducting a full investigation.

Individuals attending Sunday services at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, just south of Milwaukee, fled in all directions this morning when a gunman entered and began firing. Many hid in bathrooms or other rooms within the temple while the shooter attacked, according to police.

The president of the temple, Satwant Singh Kaleka, was preparing to deliver remarks when he became one of the shooting victims. His son, Amardeep Kaleka, spoke by phone with ABC News shortly after getting a call from the priest using his father's phone.

"I picked it up immediately thinking it was my dad, but it was the priest and he was standing right next to him," Kaleka said. "He told me right away that right now my father can't speak. There's too much blood coming out of his back area and we have to get ambulances in there right away."

Soon, he heard briefly from his mother, also in hiding in the temple and asking for information about his father.

[Burning_Ember]

I don't know if this comes up with domestic terrorism yet, but it is a horrific act of hate. He had skin-head tattoos. He was pure evil. Skin head views are born of hell. Sikh's are a peaceful people and have never harmed anyone. My prayers are with the survivors and the families of all of the victims.

Terrorism is 'The use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims', and the police are calling this domestic terrorism, so I'm going with them on this. The background of this guy isn't terribly different than Timothy McVeigh.

SO agree, B.E. This is disgusting; it seems like these shootings are getting closer together for some reason.

When one shooting happens, that gives a nudge to the rest of the crazybucket and spills it a bit more. Mix a charged social climate with a lot of one side against another, hatred and suspicion, and a bunch of guns... Then people go shoot people that they don't like.

[Guest shiloh357]

I never heard of this religion. It seems like it is some Guru type religion.Don't know , but they cover their heads and go barefoot.

That is all I could research.

Nevertheless... it is horrible ...people being killed in a place of their worship.

Makes me think about going to church again.

Sikkhs are from India. We have quite a few of them here in Houston in fact. They are a peaceful lot; I've never heard of any trouble where they live nor have I heard of any enemies they have here. There are quite a few Sikkh communities in Canada as well. It IS horrible to have people killed for no reason at all. I am wondering if the mutant who did this was so dumb he thought they were muslims?

They were saying on the news that they often get mistaken for Muslims because of their beards and turbans. If I am not mistaken, Nikki Haley, the governor of South Carolina is descended from Sikhs.

It has happened right here at my workplace. A Sikh driver came in with a delivery and some of the guys were talking about dragging him off and kicking the stuffing out of him; they thought he was a muslim because of his orange turban. I told them 'you gotta be kidding me'! They didn't know the difference but they do now. That's how easily stuff like that can happen when hearts are full of hate and suspicion. Even muslims don't deserve to be hunted down and shot like animals. May the Lord have mercy upon us.

Such talk is uncalled for and vile. Have we learned nothing from the Holocaust? I think I would have reported those guys had I been there.

[ayin jade]

Why the Sikh's. Are they confusing them with Muslims??? Sikh's are about the most peaceful group of people in the world.

Maybe this guy was not only evil, but stupid too.

Evil and hate are never rational. I doubt it made a difference to them whether it was islam or sikh, violent religion or peaceful one. From the looks of things, they were filled with hate for those of a different color.

It was a despicable action and I personally believe such shooting sprees have demonic influence. Which is not remotely to excuse the actions of the killers.

[jasoncran]

mankind hasnt learned much from the shoah.

[ayin jade]

Right after 9/11, a local sikh was murdered because someone thought he was muslim. It shocked my city. Today, following the events of this weekend, the news came out with an interview of the brother of the man killed in 2001. A year later, another brother was also murdered for being assumed to be a muslim, this time in san francisco.

The surviving brother speaks about the events of this weekend and the murders of his brothers. It is an interesting perspective.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/cop_shop/article_4bbcc1a4-e032-11e1-815a-0019bb2963f4.html

[The_Patriot21]

Thats just sad. When someone goes out and shoots someone like this-even if THEY HAD been muslim, he was planting flowers for crying out loud . . . its mindless, and it makes us out to be no better then the actual muslims over seas that strap bombs across their chests and run into a crowded market. In my mind, there is no need to hurt anyone for no reason, regardless of what religion or skin color. Jesus didn't discriminate, we shouldn't either.

[LOVE SONGS]

Updated Todays News ...about the gunman.

The gunman who killed six people at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Wednesday.

The gunman, Wade Page, 40, killed himself after a police officer shot him in the stomach outside the temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, on Sunday, FBI Special Agent Teresa Carlson told a televised news conference.

[other one]

that was thoughtful of him..... saved us a lot of time and money prosecuting him...... I really would like to know why though.

[cherylu]

I haven't been on this site much lately and am certainly late weighing in on this discussion.

I agree 100% with everyone here that has said that no one should be murdered for their religious beliefs.

But I must also admit that I find it singularly disturbing to refer to the man who did this as a "mutant". He was a human being, just like the rest of us. Afflicted with the same sin nature as the rest of us too. Because he gave in to some form of hate/fear/passion/ whatever, does not make him any less human.

He was a "mutant" only in that he is not what man was originally created to be. But neither am I. And neither are you.