Law Enforcement officials have named the man who shot six people to death and wounded three others during a rampage at a Sikh temple in a Milwaukee suburb was an Army veteran, Wade Michael Page, 40.
Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards said the attacker shot people inside and outside the temple, including a police officer. Edwards said another police officer with a rifle then shot the white supremacist movement, who died at the scene.
According to Edwards, police have received information that the suspect “may have been involved in” the white supremacist movement, but he added it remains unconfirmed.
Because of their customary beards and turbans, Sikh men are often confused with Muslims, and they have been the targets of hate crimes since the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.
Victims of the Sunday morning attack ranged in age from their late 20s to about 70, said Justice Singh Khalsa, who helped translate witness accounts for authorities. Three people remained in critical condition at Froedtert Hospital, the medical center said Monday.
Page, born on Veterans Day in 1971, joined the Army in 1992 and left the service in 1998, said information from Army Spokesman George Wright. According to a Pentagon official, Page was discharged from military service in 1998 for “patterns of misconduct.” One law enforcement official said Page legally owned the gun used in the shooting.
