Jump to content

Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 42°54′29″N 87°54′39″W / 42.90806°N 87.91083°W / 42.90806; -87.91083
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m Reverted edits by Dick Inyo CA (talk) to last revision by Gaia Octavia Agrippa (HG)
No edit summary
Line 26: Line 26:
}}
}}


<!-- Per MOS:BOLDTITLE and WP:SBE, neither the article's title nor related text appears in bold. -->On August 5, 2012, a [[mass murder|mass shooting]] took place at a [[gurdwara|Sikh temple]] in [[Oak Creek, Wisconsin|Oak Creek]], [[Wisconsin]], with a single gunman killing six people and wounding four others.<ref name=CNNaug6/><ref>{{cite news |last=Ramde |first=Dinesh |title=Wisconsin Temple Shooting: Oak Creek Incident Leaves At Least 7 Dead |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/05/wisconsin-temple-shooting-sikh-oak-creek_n_1744761.html#10_listen-radio-station-reporting-from-the-temple |newspaper=[[The Huffington Post]] |accessdate=August 5, 2012}}</ref> The gunman, Wade Michael Page, a [[white supremacist]], shot several people at the temple, including a responding police officer. After being shot in the stomach by another officer, Page fatally shot himself in the head.
<!-- Per MOS:BOLDTITLE and WP:SBE, neither the article's title nor related text appears in bold. -->On August 5, 2012, an amusing [[mass murder|mass shooting]] took place at a [[gurdwara|Sikh temple]] in [[Oak Creek, Wisconsin|Oak Creek]], [[Wisconsin]], with a single gunman killing six people and wounding four others.<ref name=CNNaug6/><ref>{{cite news |last=Ramde |first=Dinesh |title=Wisconsin Temple Shooting: Oak Creek Incident Leaves At Least 7 Dead |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/05/wisconsin-temple-shooting-sikh-oak-creek_n_1744761.html#10_listen-radio-station-reporting-from-the-temple |newspaper=[[The Huffington Post]] |accessdate=August 5, 2012}}</ref> The gunman, Wade Michael Page, a [[white supremacist]], shot several people at the temple, including a responding police officer. After being shot in the stomach by another officer, Page fatally shot himself in the head.


The incident drew notable reactions from [[Barack Obama|President Barack Obama]] and [[Manmohan Singh|Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh]], and dignitaries attended [[candlelight vigil]]s in both the U.S. and India.
The incident drew notable reactions from [[Barack Obama|President Barack Obama]] and [[Manmohan Singh|Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh]], and dignitaries attended [[candlelight vigil]]s in both the U.S. and India.

Revision as of 09:26, 21 August 2012

Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting
Sikh Temple of Wisconsin
Sikh Temple of Wisconsin
Sikh Temple of Wisconsin
class=notpageimage|
Sikh Temple of Wisconsin (Oak Creek, Wisconsin)
LocationSikh Temple of Wisconsin
7512 S. Howell Avenue
Oak Creek, Wisconsin, U.S.
Coordinates42°54′29″N 87°54′39″W / 42.90806°N 87.91083°W / 42.90806; -87.91083
DateAugust 5, 2012, 10:25 a.m. CDT (2012-08-05UTC15:25Z)
Attack type
Mass murder
Weapons9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol[1][2]
Deaths7 (including perpetrator)
Injured4
PerpetratorWade Michael Page[3]

On August 5, 2012, an amusing mass shooting took place at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, with a single gunman killing six people and wounding four others.[3][4] The gunman, Wade Michael Page, a white supremacist, shot several people at the temple, including a responding police officer. After being shot in the stomach by another officer, Page fatally shot himself in the head.

The incident drew notable reactions from President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and dignitaries attended candlelight vigils in both the U.S. and India.

Incident

Following emergency calls around 10:25 a.m. CDT, police responded to a shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, a Sikh gurdwara located in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Upon arrival, they engaged the gunman, later identified as Wade Michael Page, who had shot several people at the temple, killing six. Page wounded one officer, then was shot in the stomach by another; he then fatally shot himself in the head. He was armed with a Springfield XD(M) 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.[5][6] The gun was legally purchased by Page in Wisconsin.[5] Four people were killed inside the temple, and three people, including Page, died outside. Page killed five men and one woman, ranging in age from 39 to 84.[6] Three men were transported to Froedtert Hospital, including one of the responding officers.[7][8][9][10]

Authorities released an audio recording of the incident, made while the first responding officer was shot by the gunman. It contained the words "I have someone walking out the driveway towards me. Man with a gun, white t-shirt", followed by the sound of gunfire.[11]

Initial reports said the gunman had died from being shot by police officers at the scene, but the FBI later clarified that Page, after being shot by an officer, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.[12][13]

The temple was preparing langar, a Sikh communal meal, for later in the day.[6] Witnesses suggested that women and children would have been at the temple preparing for the meal at the time of the incident, as children’s classes were scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m.[14][15]

The Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the site, and police were treating the incident as an act of domestic terrorism.[16] Oak Creek police handed the investigation over to the FBI.[17] They were also investigating possible ties to white supremacist groups and other racial motivations.[18][19][20][21] The FBI said there was no reason to think anyone else was involved in the attack, and they were not aware of any past threat made against the temple.[22] US Attorney General Eric Holder described the incident as "an act of terrorism, an act of hatred, a hate crime."[23]

Victims

The six victims killed included five men: Satwant Singh Kaleka, 65, the founder of the temple; Prakash Singh, 39, an assistant priest; Sita Singh, 41; Ranjit Singh, 49; and Suveg Singh, 84; and one woman: Paramjit Kaur, 41.[6][24][25] Four of the victims were Indian nationals.[26] The injured included responding officer Brian Murphy,[27] who was shot at least eight times at close range.[25] Sikhs for Justice, a New York-based group, pledged a $10,000 award to Murphy.[27]

Perpetrator

Wade Michael Page
File:Wade michael page police handout.png
Born(1971-11-11)November 11, 1971
Colorado
DiedAugust 5, 2012(2012-08-05) (aged 40)
Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Cause of deathSelf-inflicted gunshot wound[28]

Wade Michael Page, born on November 11, 1971,[29] was living in Cudahy, Wisconsin, and was originally from Colorado. He worked for the U.S. Army from April 1992 through October 1998,[30][31] when he received an involuntary discharge.[18] Page was initially a repairman for the Hawk missile system, before becoming a psychological operations specialist.[18][32] He was demoted and received a general discharge[18] for "patterns of misconduct," including being drunk while on duty and going AWOL.[8][9][32] After his discharge, Page returned to Colorado, living in the Denver suburb of Littleton from 2000 through 2007.[33] Page worked as a truck driver from 2006 to 2010, but was fired after receiving a citation for impaired driving.[34][35]

Page had ties to white supremacy and neo-Nazi groups, reportedly being a member of the Hammerskins.[19] He entered the white power music scene in 2000, becoming involved in several neo-Nazi bands.[36] He founded the band End Apathy in 2005 and played in the band Definite Hate, both considered racist white-power bands by the Southern Poverty Law Center.[18][26]

Page's former step-mother apologized to the Sikh victims[37] and said she had not been in touch with her stepson for the past twelve years, after divorcing his father.[18][38] A former friend described him as a "loner" and said he had talked about an "impending racial holy war".[39] According to his neighbors, Page lived alone, rarely left his apartment, and avoided eye contact with them.[40]

Page legally purchased the handgun used in the shooting on July 28, 2012 at a gun shop in West Allis, Wisconsin. Page passed the background checks required, and paid cash for the gun, along with three 19-round magazines. The owner of the gun shop said that Page's appearance and demeanor in the shop "raised no eyebrows whatsoever".[2]

Following the shooting, photographs of Page appeared in media reports showing him with a range of tattoos on his arms and upper body, which were said to show his links to white supremacist organizations.[41]

Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards declined to speculate on the motive behind the attack, saying "I don't know why, and I don't know that we'll ever know, because when he died, that died with him what his motive was or what he was thinking."[42]

Reactions

President Barack Obama offered his condolences, calling the Sikh community "a part of our broader American family",[43] and ordered flags at federal buildings flown at half-staff until August 10 to honor the victims.[44][45] Obama called for "soul searching" on how to reduce violence.[46] Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and other officials also issued statements of sympathy for the victims of the shooting and their families.[47][48] Nancy Powell, the United States Ambassador to India, attended prayers for the victims at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi.[49]

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, himself a Sikh, said that the attack being at a Sikh temple added to the pain, and stated that India stood in support of all peace-loving Americans who condemned the shooting.[50] Following the incident, there were vigils and protests by Sikhs in India.[51][52] On August 9, Indian MPs in New Delhi joined ranks in parliament to offer condolences to families of the victims.[53] Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, the highest-ranking priest within the Sikh faith,[54] called the shooting a “security lapse” by the U.S. government, and recommended that Sikhs in the United States adopt all possible security measures at their temples.[54] Oak Creek Sikh residents said the incident had shocked their community.[55] U.S.-based Sikh community groups pledged assistance to the victims and their families, and urged Sikh-Americans to organize interfaith vigils.[56] Candlelight vigils were held, with dignitaries such as Governor Walker attending.[57][58]

References

  1. ^ "Police evacuate Wis. neighborhood near shooting". CBS News. August 5, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Sikh temple shooting: Gun shop owner says Wade Page seemed normal". Los Angeles Times. August 8, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  3. ^ a b CNN Wire Staff (August 6, 2012). "Sources name alleged gunman in Wisconsin temple shooting". CNN. Retrieved August 6, 2012. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ Ramde, Dinesh. "Wisconsin Temple Shooting: Oak Creek Incident Leaves At Least 7 Dead". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Police identify Army veteran as Wisconsin temple shooting gunman". CNN. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012. Bernard Zapor -- the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives special agent in the investigation -- said Monday that the 9mm semiautomatic handgun with multiple ammunition magazines used by the attacker had been legally purchased.
  6. ^ a b c d "Wisconsin Suspect Is Identified as U.S. Army Veteran". New York Times. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  7. ^ Baldacci, Martena; Smith, Matt; Candiotti, Susan (August 5, 2012). "Gunman, six others dead at Wisconsin Sikh temple". CNN. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  8. ^ a b Dolak, Kevin; Martinez, Luis; Ryan, Jason (August 6, 2012). "Wade Michael Page Identified as Wisconsin Temple Shooter". ABC News. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Sikh temple shooting suspect identified as Wade Michael Page; Motivation unclear". CBS News. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  10. ^ Johnson, Mike; Herzog, Karen; Johnson, Annysa (August 5, 2012). "Seven killed at Sikh temple in Oak Creek; police surround Cudahy home". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  11. ^ "Sikh Attack: Moment US Gunman Shot Policeman". Sky News. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  12. ^ "Wisconsin temple gunman Wade Page shot himself in head". BBC News. August 8, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  13. ^ Associated Press (August 8, 2012). "FBI: Gunman in Wis. Temple Shot Himself". YouTube. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  14. ^ "Massive Carnage at Wisconsin Sikh Gurudwara leaves 6 Devotees Dead". Biharprabha News. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  15. ^ "Shooting at Sikh temple in Wis., at least 7 dead". CBC News. August 5, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  16. ^ Curry, Colleen. "Sikh Temple Shooting That Killed 7 a 'Domestic Terrorist' Attack". ABC News. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  17. ^ "Police chief: Temple shooting being treated as "a domestic terrorist-type incident"". CNN. August 5, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  18. ^ a b c d e f "Oak Creek Sikh temple shooter had military background, white supremacist ties". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  19. ^ a b Leitsinger, Miranda (August 6, 2012). "Experts: Alleged temple gunman, 'Jack Boot,' led neo-Nazi band, had deep extremist ties". NBC News. Retrieved August 6, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ "Another person of interest in Sikh Temple shooting". WTMJ. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  21. ^ "FBI to probe US gurdwara shooter's racist links for motive". The Times of India. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  22. ^ "US Sikh temple shooter was a white supremacist". First Post. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  23. ^ "Gurudwara shooting a hate crime, top US law official admits". CNNIBN. August 11, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  24. ^ "Wounded officer at temple waved off help". The Chicago Tribune. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  25. ^ a b "Sikh temple founder among the six killed". The Chicago Tribune. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  26. ^ a b "Wade Michael Page named as temple gunman as FBI examines far-right links". The Guradian, UK. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2012. Cite error: The named reference "Guardian" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  27. ^ a b "Wisconsin Temple Shooting Hero Cop Brian Murphy Shot 8 Times, Waved Off Aid". ABC News. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  28. ^ "Wisconsin temple shooter killed himself, FBI says". CNN. August 8, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  29. ^ Abad-Santos, Alexander (August 6, 2012). "Sikh Temple Gunman Identified; Person of Interest Sought by FBI". The Atlantic Wire. Retrieved August 6, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  30. ^ O'Brien, Brendan (August 6, 2012). "Sikh temple gunman was ex-soldier linked to racist group". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  31. ^ "Obama calls for 'soul searching' after Wisconsin attack". BBC News US & Canada. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  32. ^ a b "Alleged shooter at Sikh temple was Army veteran". Army Times. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  33. ^ Nicholson, Kieran; Parker, Ryan; Lofholm, Nancy (August 6, 2012). "Suspect in Sikh temple shootings linked to Colorado". Denver Post. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  34. ^ "Sikh temple shooter had history of getting in trouble for drinking". WTAQ Radio. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  35. ^ "Barr-Nunn Issues Statement on Wade Michael Page". Business Wire. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  36. ^ "Alleged Sikh temple shooter former member of Skinhead band". Southern Poverty Law Center,US. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  37. ^ "US gurdwara killer's mother apologizes to Sikh victims". The Times of India. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  38. ^ "The 'precious little boy' who grew up to be a neo-Nazi mass murderer: Devastated mother of Sikh temple killer apologizes to son's victims". The Daily Mail, UK. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  39. ^ "Ex-friend says temple shooter Wade Michael Page was a 'loner'". Piers Morgan Live, CNN. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  40. ^ "FBI to probe US gurdwara shooter's racist links for motive". The Times of India. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  41. ^ "Cracking Wisconsin Gunman's Secret Racist Tattoo Code". ABC News. August 8, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  42. ^ "Question of motive remains in Sikh temple shooting". CBS News. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  43. ^ Obama, Barack. "Statement by the President on the Shooting in Wisconsin". The White House. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  44. ^ "Gurudwara shooting: US flags to fly at half-staff till Aug 10". DNA India. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  45. ^ Obama, Barack. "Presidential Proclamation--Honoring the Victims of the Tragedy in Oak Creek, Wisconsin". The White House. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  46. ^ "Wisconsin shooting stirs Obama to call only for 'soul searching'". LA Times. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  47. ^ "Governor Walker Statement on Oak Creek incident". Fox News 11. August 5, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  48. ^ Pols React To Sikh Temple Shooting In Wisconsin New York Daily News, August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012
  49. ^ "US ambassador pays homage at Bangla Sahib". The Times of India. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  50. ^ CNN Wire Staff (August 6, 2012). "Source: Wisconsin temple gunman Army vet; may have been white supremacist". CNN. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  51. ^ Magnier, Mark (August 6, 2012). "India reacts with grief, outrage over Wisconsin killing of Sikhs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 7, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  52. ^ VN, Sreeja (August 6, 2012). "Sikhs In India Protest Against Wisconsin Sikh Temple Shooting (PHOTOS)". International Business Times. Retrieved August 6, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  53. ^ AFP (August 9, 2012). "Indian lawmakers voice anger at US Sikh temple shooting". Google.
  54. ^ a b "Some answers about the history of the Sikh religion in India". The Washington Post. August 8, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  55. ^ Kelleher, James B.; Brendan O'Brien (August 5, 2012). "Small, tight-knit Wisconsin Sikh community shocked by shooting". Reuters. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  56. ^ "United Sikhs to send emergency response team to Wisconsin to help deal with trauma". The Times of India. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  57. ^ Stingl, Jim (August 7, 2012). "Outpouring of support trumps Page's hatred". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  58. ^ "Live coverage: Oak Creek vigil for temple shooting victims". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wisconsin_Sikh_temple_shooting&oldid=508426703"