- Shooter named as Wade Michael Page
- Worked in psychological operations in Fort Bliss and Fort Bragg
- Was previously a missile repair man
- Was kicked out of the army in 1998
- Girlfriend Misty was student at University of Milwaukee and has an autistic son
- Was killed by police officer after he shot six people at Sikh temple
- Victims include temple president Satwant Kaleka, 65, who tried to stop him
- Priest Parkash Singh, in his thirties, also killed
- Lt Brian Murphy in hospital after being ambushed helping a victim
- Three victims in hospital with life-threatening injuries
By
Laura Pullman, Michael Zennie and Louise Boyle
18:22, 5 August 2012
|
17:16, 6 August 2012
The skinhead former soldier who killed six people and critically wounded three at a Sikh temple yesterday was a frustrated neo-Nazi who had been the leader of a racist white-power band.
Wade Michael Page, who was kicked out of the army in 1998 when he worked at Fort Bragg in Psychological Operations, gave an interview two years ago to white supremacist website Label 56, telling them that he started the band End Apathy because of his wish to ‘figure out how to end people’s apathetic ways and start moving forward’.
The band’s MySpace page says their music is a ‘sad commentary on our sick society and the problems that prevent true progress’.
Gunman: Wade Michael Page was given a general discharge from the army in October 1998 and had been demoted from sergeant to specialist during his service. He was deemed ineligible for re-enlistment
Page pictured right: The band’s MySpace page states that End Apathy’s ‘music is a sad commentary on our sick society and the problems that prevent true progress’
Band members: Wade Michael Page, left, with his band End Apathy gave an interview to a white supremacist website two years ago talking about why he started up the band
Witnesses said the 40-year-old opened fire just before services, entering the kitchen at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in suburban Milwaukee at about 10.30am as women prepared a Sunday meal.
It sent worshippers fleeing to escape the barrage – with many hiding in cupboards and texting the outside world begging for help.
He was finally gunned down by police officer Lt Brian Murphy, 51, who was shot ‘eight or nine times’ and who is now recovering in hospital.
The six victims – aged between 39 and 83 – have been identified as Bhai Seeta Singh, Bhai Parkash Singh, Bhai Ranjit Singh, Satwant Singh Kaleka, Subegh Singh, Parmjit Kaur Toor.
The injured in hospital are Bhai Punjab Singh – who is in extremely critical condition – and Santokh Singh.
It was confirmed today that Page served in the
U.S. army for about six years from 1992 to 1998.
He was given a general discharge in October 1998 and
had been demoted from sergeant to specialist during his service. He was deemed ineligible for re-enlistment.
While
in the Army, Wade – originally from Colorado – served as a sergeant, and later as a specialist based
in Ft Bliss in Texas and at Ft Bragg in North Carolina.
Wade’s job was
as a Hawk missile system repairman, and he then became a psychological
operations specialist, defense officials confirmed to ABC news.
The details of his discharge were not immediately clear.
Gunman: Former solider Wade Michael Page is said to be a frustrated neo-Nazi who had been the leader of a racist white-power band
Victim: The president of the temple, Satwant Kaleka, was shot by the gunman as he tried to tackle him to the floor with a knife
Distraught: A woman waits for news of family members after a shooting on Sunday at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin
Mourning: Friends and relatives stand beyond the Oak Creek police line, waiting for information about victims after a gunman attacked a Sikh temple and killed six worshipers
The group claims that they ‘began in 2005 with roots in old school…punk and metal influences’. The group last listed their location as Nashville, North Carolina. Their last login to MySpace was in February 2012.
On MySpace, Wade Michael Page’s alleged music includes songs like ‘Self Destruct’, ‘Insufficient, and ‘submission’. He admitted in the 2010 interview that End Apathy was all his own idea and that topics included sociological issues, religion, and how
the value of human life has been degraded by being submissive to tyranny
and hypocrisy that we are subjugated to.
WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS?
Psychological Operations (PSYOP) or
Psychological Warfare (PSYWAR) is simply learning everything about the
target enemy, their beliefs, likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, and
vulnerabilities. Once you know what motivates your target, you are
ready to begin psychological operations.
A proven winner in combat and peacetime, PSYOP is one of the oldest weapons in the arsenal of man.
Psy-Ops specialists are responsible for the analysis, development and distribution of intelligence used for information and psychological effect; they research and analyze methods of influencing foreign populations.
Psychological operations may be defined broadly as the planned use of communications to influence human attitudes and behavior … to create in target groups behavior, emotions, and attitudes that support the attainment of national objectives.
The U.S. Department of Defense defines psychological warfare as:
‘The planned use of propaganda and other psychological actions having the primary purpose of influencing the opinions, emotions, attitudes, and behavior of hostile foreign groups in such a way as to support the achievement of national objectives.’
The Southern Poverty Law Center, a group that has studied hate crimes for decades, reported today that they had been tracking Page since 2000 when he tried to purchase goods from the National Alliance.
Heidi Beirich, director of the center’s intelligence project, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that there was ‘no question’ Page was an ardent follower and believer in the white supremacist movement.
She said her center had evidence that he attended ‘hate events’ around the country and was involved in the scene.
Also on Monday, a volunteer human-rights group called Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) found links between Page, his band and a white supremacist website called Stormfront, reported the Journal Sentinel.
He moved to a duplex in the 3700 block of E. Holmes in Cudahy two weeks ago, which was cordoned off for a time on Sunday night as officials investigated inside, and residents were evacuated from their homes.
It is about six miles from the temple where the shooting took place.
Before that he lived in the south of Milwaukee with his girlfriend Misty who was going to the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has an autistic son.
David Brown, 62, a neighbor who lived in the same apartment building told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Page was a recluse.
‘He was not a friendly guy. He was very quiet. You’d say hi and he’d kind of grunt. It was like he didn’t care if you were talking or not.’
He said they moved out about four or five months ago.
A neighbor at his Cudahy duplex told CBS: ‘Nobody has really seen him. We heard here and there that they’ve been doing a lot of arguing, between him and another female, but I haven’t seen him.’
The officers came out of the duplex around midnight, carrying large items, according to Cudahy Now.
Police roped off four blocks in a neighborhood with a mix of duplexes and single-family homes as FBI agents descended on Page’s home with an armored truck, a trailer and other vehicles.
Other law enforcement officers are there too, along with a police dog, according to TMJ4.
One woman said that the man who lived at that home ‘kind of kept to himself’.
‘I just remember seeing (a tattoo that said) 9-11. I just remember thinking it was weird, thinking “Why would you have that tattooed on you?”‘ April Reyna told the station.
Page is believed to have worked as a truck driver with Granger, Iowa-based Barr-Nunn Transportation, from about April 2006 to August 2010 while living in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
An employee at the company said he left ‘involuntarily’ but declined to elaborate.
Home: Page moved recently to a duplex in the 3700 block of E. Holmes in Cudahy which was cordoned off for a time on Sunday night as officials investigated inside, and residents were evacuated from their homes
Siege: A number of law enforcement vehicles surrounded and entered a two-story duplex near S. Kirkwood Ave. and E. Holmes Ave in Cudahy that is believed to be the home of the shooter
‘He had tattoos, I don’t know what the
exact markings were, or if they represented any of his beliefs or what
they stood for,’ said Thomas Ahern, of the U.S. Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Four people were shot dead inside the sprawling temple. Three more, including the gunman, were killed outside.
One victim was the temple’s
president, 65-year-old Satwant Kaleka who died as he tried to ‘knife and
tackle’ the shooter. Another was Parkash Singh, a priest in his thirties.
Manminder Sethi who worships at the temple, told the Journal-Sentinel: ‘He was a good guy, a noble soul.’
The son of Suveg Singh Khattra, 84, who was shot dead, said his father was a humble man who moved to Wisconsin in 2004.
Balginder Khattra, of Oak Creek, said today that his 84-year-old father didn’t speak English, but managed to communicate with neighbors using his hands. Khattra says his father harbored no hatred for anyone and loved living in America.
Khattra says he’s a taxi driver and would drop his father at the temple every day. He says both he and his father were born in Patiala, a city in southeastern Punjab, in northern India, where they farmed.
Grief: Members of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin weep on Monday where a gunman killed six people
Prayers: Indian Sikh devotees pay their respects at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on August 6, 2012. Indian Sikhs, led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, voiced shock and anger at the killing of worshipers at a Sikh temple in the U.S.
Protection: Heavily armored police officers patrol the entrance to the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, the scene of multiple shootings in Oak Creek
Lock down: Police outside the Sikh temple where a gunman opened fire on families who had gathered for a morning prayer service
Mr Singh had lived in Oak
Creek for several years and recently brought his wife, daughter and son
from India to live with him in the U.S.
The
gunman ambushed and shot a police officer who was responding to a 911
call and helping a shooting victim, Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards
said. A second officer shot and killed the gunman.
The
wounded officer, a 20-year veteran, was taken to a hospital and is
expected to survive. Hospital officials said two other victims, also in
critical condition, were being treated.
Temple member and U.S. Army Reserve
combat medic Jagpal Singh, 29, said people who were at the service when
the shooting broke out described to him a scene of chaos and confusion.
Worshipers
scrambled to escape the gunfire, but some tragically ran in the wrong
direction. Others survived the rampage by locking themselves in
bathrooms, he said.
Authorities did not release the name
of the suspect. They said the shooter had used a 9mm semi-automatic
pistol, which was recovered at the scene. Officials were tracing origin
of the weapon, Ahern said.
Police surrounded and searched a
grey, two-storey house in the Cudahy neighborhood, presumed to be the
residence of the gunman on Sunday evening.
Generators and floodlights were set up
along the middle-class block. A police source confirmed that a search
warrant had been issued for the house, and a bomb squad was on the
scene.
Family and friends of the victims gathered in the basement of a nearby bowling alley as they waited for their loved ones to be identified.
There were reports the gunman
had been in the Army. According to a woman, who said she was the
mother of the shooter’s landlord, the suspect had recently broken up
with his girlfriend, Patch reported.
The
Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh-American civil rights organization,
urged caution over the gunman’s motive while the police investigation
was ongoing.
Candlelit: Mourners gather in Cathedral Square in downtown Milwaukee to show support for the friends and families of victims who were shot and killed during an attack at a Sikh temple in neighboring Oak Creek
U.S. Ambassador to India: Nancy Powell, center, offers her prayers and condolences in the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, New Delhi, India on 06 August, after the Wisconsin shooting
Grief: A distraught women is comforted outside of the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin after the shooting rampage on Sunday
Armed: Police officers and FBI on high alert outside a home in Cudahy, Wisconsin believed to belong to the unidentified shooter
Executive director Sapreet Kaur said:
‘There have been multiple hate crime shootings within the Sikh
community in recent years and the natural impulse of our community is to
unfortunately assume the same in this case.
‘Let’s let law enforcement
investigate the case and as new facts emerge the dialogue can change.
Americans died today in a senseless act of violence and Americans of all
faiths should stand in unified support with their Sikh brothers and
sisters.’
SIKHS UNDER ATTACK
Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Sikh community has found itself at greater risk from religiously-motivated hate crimes.
Last year, two elderly Sikhs were shot dead in the street in Sacramento, California.
A taxi driver was beaten up in the same area by attackers yelling racially-motivated abuse.
This year, the building site of a Sikh temple – a gurudwara – in Michigan was vandalized while a Sikh family in Washington received hate mail threatening violence.
Lawmakers have been so concerned in the increased number of threats made to Sikhs that they have urged the Justice Department to open an investigation.
The
tragic incident comes just two weeks after the mass shooting at a movie
theater in Aurora, Colorado where 12 people and an unborn baby died and
58 were injured.
Police
Chief Bradley Wentlandt said it wasn’t clear how many people had been
shot.
Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards said the officers had responded to a 911 call about the shooting when they were ambushed.
Lt Brian Murphy, 51, was taken to hospital where he is undergoing surgery although he is expected to survive.
Edwards said the officers ‘stopped a tragedy that could have been a lot worse’.
Dr Lee Biblo, the chief medical
officer at the hospital said they were well prepared to treat the three
seriously wounded as it is a level one trauma center.
He
said one victim had suffered a single gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Another had been shot multiple times in the face and extremities while
the third man had been shot in the neck.
Massacre: Police have confirmed seven people have been killed at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin including the gunman and unconfirmed reports say as many as 20 – 30 people have been injured
SWAT: After shooting down the suspected gunman, tactical teams moved inside the temple to rescue those in hiding and those injured
Terrified: Crowds of friends and relatives gathered outside the temple desperate for more information on the massacre
Horrific: At least six victims have been killed in the shootings. Witnesses describe a chaotic situation with an unknown number of victims, suspects and possible hostages
Lost in prayer: Amardeep Kaleka, whose father Satwant Kaleka was shot, prays in the parking lot while waiting for information
President Barack Obama released a statement saying he and Michelle were ‘deeply saddened’ to learn of the tragedy.
‘At this difficult time, the people of Oak Creek must know that the American people have them in our thoughts and prayers, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who were killed and wounded,’ he said in a statement.
‘My Administration will provide whatever support is necessary to the officials who are responding to this tragic shooting and moving forward with an investigation.
‘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.’
Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney also issued a statement, calling the shootings ‘a senseless act of violence’.
Aftermath: Activists of the Shiromani Akali Dal protest near the US embassy in New Delhi on August 6, 2012, after a gunman in the US shot worshipers at a suburban Sikh temple in Wisconsin
Fears: Armed police investigate the Sikh Temple where it was initially believed that there was more than one gunman
Targeted: The shooting took place around 10.30 Sunday morning at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin. At least seven people have been killed, including the gunman who was shot by a police officer. It is not clear how many people have been injured
Desperation: Petrified women who said they have family members in the Sikh temple wait anxiously for more information as people remain trapped in the building
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker condemned the attack at the temple and asked the people of his state to pray for the victims.
‘Our
hearts go out to the victims and their families, as we all struggle to
comprehend the evil that begets this terrible violence,’ he said.
‘I
ask everyone to join us in praying for the victims and their families,
praying for the safety of our law enforcement and first responder
professionals and praying for strength and healing for this entire
community and our state.’
A vigil has been organized for 8pm this evening to show support for the victims and their families in Cathedral Square Park, Milwaukee.
Grief: A distraught women is helped to a car outside of the Sikh temple in Oak Creek after multiple people were shot
Prayers: A girl with her father stand at the candlelight vigil in Milwaukee on Sunday night after six victims were fatally shot
WHAT IS SIKHISM?
Sikhs make up a very small, but rapidly-growing, segment of the population in the United States.
Sikhism is one of the world’s major faiths, with more than 30 million followers across the globe – mostly in India.
There are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs in the United States and the faith has been widely misunderstood and targeted for discrimination – especially in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Sikhism was founded 500 years ago in the Punjab region of modern India and Pakistan by Guru Nanak Dev.
He, and nine successive Gurus who revealed the faith, advocated the equality of all peoples.
Sikhs believe in the importance of having a relationship with God through prayer and observance of the laws of God.
Observant Sikhs do not cut their hair; male followers often cover their heads with turbans and refrain from shaving their beards.
Turbans are sacred garments and Sikhs believe them to be one and the same with their bodies when they are worn.
The Washington-based Sikh Coalition has reported more than 700 incidents in the US since 9/11, which advocates blame on anti-Islamic sentiment.
The temple has a 400-500 congregation and many families were arriving for a meditation service when the attacker struck this morning.
It is estimated that 20 to 30 people were inside the temple when the gunman opened fire.
There was an 11.30 service scheduled which was expected to be attended by hundreds.
Oak Creek is south of Milwaukee along Lake Michigan.
Sikh rights groups
have reported a rise in bias attacks since September 11. The Washington-based Sikh Coalition has reported more than 700
incidents in the U.S. since 9/11, which advocates blame on anti-Islamic
sentiment.
Sikhs don’t practice the same religion as Muslims, but their
long beards and turbans often cause them to be mistaken for Muslims,
advocates said.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations released a statement which said that American Muslims ‘stand with their Sikh brothers and sisters’ following the deadly shooting.
Sikhs in Milwaukee have been the targets of attacks in their community as recently as last fall.
Religious leaders asked state lawmakers to visit the temple after a string of robberies and vandalism appeared to target businesses owned by Sikhs.
The attacks were part of a string of mob-like riots in a neighborhood that left several people badly beaten.
State Rep Josh Zepnick and District Attorney John Chisholm visited the temple in September and condemned the violence.
In New York City, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly ordered a police presence at Sikh temples today.
Remembrance: Seven people were dead and dozens injured after the shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Love and support: People light candles during a vigil to honor victims of Oak Creek in downtown Milwaukee
It is estimated that 20 to 30 people were inside the temple when the gunman opened fire. There was an 11.30 service scheduled which was expected to be attended by hundreds
Sikh
NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said: ‘The coverage is being put in place out of an abundance of caution.’
The shooting was described as ‘domestic terrorism’ – a phrase that was not used in the Aurora, Colorado attack.
FBI defines terrorism as ‘the unlawful use of force or violence against
persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian
population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or
social objectives’.
Sikhism is a monotheistic faith
that was founded in South Asia more than 500 years ago.
It has roughly
27 million followers worldwide. Observant Sikhs do not cut their hair;
male followers often cover their heads with turbans – which are
considered sacred – and refrain from shaving their beards.
There are roughly 500,000 Sikhs in the U.S. The majority worldwide live in India. The Sikh Temple of Wisconsin has more
than 400 members.
It was established in Milwaukee in 1997 with just two
dozen families and grew quickly in the last 15 years.
In 2007, a new temple was built in Oak Creek on 13 acres outside Milwaukee city limits.
The 17,500-square-foot temple included a much larger parking lot and
worship area, as well as a library, a nursery and a play area for
children.
This is the second horrific mass shooting in a matter of weeks.
On July 20,
James Holmes, a 23-year-old graduate student, allegedly killed 12 people
and an unborn child and wounded 58 others when he walked into a
midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado.
Another shooting massacre will only increase calls for tighter gun control legislation to make it more difficult to for
people to buy firearms and place restrictions on assault rifles and
high-capacity magazines.
12 ambulances arrived at the scene; it is not yet clear how many people were injured
Distraught: A man wipes away tears as details of the horrifying massacre continue to emerge
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Contrary to popular misconception, Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims. Sikhs believe in One God and the brother
hood of humanity. The Sikh community have always been pioneers of religious liberty, with a firm belief in freedom, tolerance and equality for all – which is also visibly evident in history and present day. In Sikh places of worship, the main focal points are prayer, hymn singing and service for others. Every Sikh places of worship offers food for all regardless of background, and like many other Gurdwaras, the Wisconsin Gurdwara would share meals with the local homeless people. It is highly disturbing that such a community has been targeted and that a number of innocent lives were tragically taken. Our prayers and thoughts are with the victims, and we also pray that lessons are learnt from this to prevent such attacks happening to any other community, especially in their places of worship. “Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Terey Bhane Sarbat Da Bhalla” – “Through Nanak, may Thy Nam
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My dear, dear Sikh friends. I am so sorry this evil has been visited upon your brethren in Wisconsin. You are fine, compassionate upright people, you did not deserve this. Unfortunately, poor education amongst some Americans confuses good Sikhs with others who wear the turban. It is a tragedy for all. May God’s blessings rain down upon you now and heal the wounds and may Americans come to realise that Sikhism is a way of compassion, understanding, learning and goodness. I dedicate this to a late Sikh friend who passed on last year in New Delhi. He would understand.
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‘At the end of the day, people don’t like their communities being over-run with immigrants, so sadly these incidents will continue to happen…’
Immigrants? This is America we are talking about here. Nearly everyone in America is of immigrant stock.
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- Dougie, Harlow, Essex. ( Voting UKIP at the next election.), 06/8/2012 09:39 Dougie, our gun laws didn’t prevent 12 people from dying in Aurora, Colorodo nor in the massacre of many Sikhs in a temple yesterday. Sure, there have been massacres in Europe and the UK, but your strict gun laws keep the level of violence in your countries low. Whereas the USA has more gun murders yearly than 2 OTHER COUNTRIES COMBINED. Something has to change.
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can already hear the leftist politically-correct liberals arriving to gain political capital out of this tragedy by using it for their own anti-freedom agenda. If the Sikh people had guns they could have protected themselves and dealt with the criminal before he had the chance to murder more people…. – Mateus, Algarve, 5/8/2012
Yes and lets give their babies guns and their dogs and cats and also goldfish, that should keep them extra safe.
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For many ignorant uneducated people who has no idea what’s the difference between Sikh and Muslim.
Sikh is a peaceful religion just like Buddhist and they don’t preach hatred to other nonbelievers or different religions. They blend in and respect many others regardless of belief or race.
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Terrible news! The Sikhs are a peace loving community.
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What thoughts are going through these peoples heads. You are a sick man and you got off lightly for killing and injuring these people.
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Religion, colour or creed has nothing to do with it. Murder is murder no matter who or what we are.
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Last year a terrorist committed acts of terror in Norway. This, here, is also an act of terrorism. Yet why do the media and the government collaborate in reserving such labels for certain other creeds and adherents of a particular religion? Is it, good grief, because it would not suit your agenda? Would this comment not being published be part of that agenda?
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Article source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2184038/Wisconsin-Sikh-temple-shooting-Oak-Creek-gunman-Wade-Michael-Page-pictured.html?ITO=1490






August 6th, 2012 → 4:27 pm @ carbon
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