Gunman, Six Others Dead in Shooting at Wisconsin Sikh Temple

**Theophylact** · August 5th, 2012, 03:16 PM

At least seven people, including a gunman shot by a police officer, have been killed in an attack on worshippers at a Sikh temple in the Milwaukee suburb of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, on Sunday, police said. The officer was wounded but "returned fire, and that shooter was put down," said Bradley Wentlandt, the police chief in nearby Greenfield, who briefed reporters. Investigators who picked through the building afterward found four bodies inside the temple and two other victims outside, plus the gunman, Wentlandt said.

Though early reports had suggested there may have been more than one attacker, he said officers had not identified any other gunmen.

The wounded officer, a 20-year veteran, was in surgery Sunday afternoon after being shot multiple times, but was expected to survive, Wentlandt said. He was sent to the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, south of Milwaukee, after a 911 call about 10:25 a.m. (11:25 a.m. ET).

Carolyn Bellin, a spokeswoman for Milwaukee's Froedtert Hospital, said one of three men brought there from the incident was in surgery early Sunday morning, while another was in the surgical intensive care unit. The third was being evaluated in the emergency room. All three were in critical condition.

The temple has a congregation of 250 to 400, according to its website.

"I just want to say this temple was built a number of years ago and there have never been any problems with this temple," Oak Creek Alderman Dan Jakubczyk said. "They've been a plus to this city and to my district."

**SoloCamo** · August 5th, 2012, 03:27 PM

*patiently awaits the anti-gun crowd using this as fuel on the fire*

Oh wait... the cnn comments are rolling already!

I really, really hate people more and more after reading comments. I mean, these people, on both side for that matter, literally have their heads so far up their a** it's not even a joke.

On a more serious note, an unfortunate event indeed. A great friend of mine is Sikh, in fact grew up with the guy from pre-school up until 12th grade when I moved to Florida. The Sikhs are by far one of the religious groups furthest away from violence I've ever met.

**tony_j15** · August 5th, 2012, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by SoloCamo

the cnn comments are rolling already!

You peruse that feculence?

**SoloCamo** · August 5th, 2012, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by tony_j15

You peruse that feculence?

Only with the hope of finding an intelligent response. Unfortunately, I fail to find one every time.

**Theophylact** · August 5th, 2012, 04:24 PM

Time to give it up. Don't read comments on unmoderated sites, especially news sites. You'll only get depressed over the utter depravity of supposedly human beings.

**surreal** · August 5th, 2012, 04:25 PM

whyohwhyCollapse

AMEN!
I am Christian but they have the right to be Sihk without getting shot up.

OMG, what a moron.

**Theophylact** · August 5th, 2012, 07:57 PM

The attack occurred about 10:30 a.m. (11:30 a.m. ET), when temple members were reading scriptures and cooking food in preparation for the main Sunday service and community lunch, said Kanwardeep Singh Kaleka, a member of the congregation and the nephew of its president.

Kaleka was not at the temple at the time of the shooting, but helped police interview witnesses in the aftermath. He said members described the attacker as a bald, white man, dressed in a white T-shirt and black pants and with a 9/11 tattoo on one arm -- which "implies to me that there's some level of hate crime there."

Hmm.

**The Real Bingo** · August 5th, 2012, 08:07 PM

It's happening...

**Taxmancometh** · August 6th, 2012, 04:47 AM

Twitter Trackbacks for Left blames Wisconsin temple shooting on Michelle Bachmann and â€˜racists like herâ€™ | Twitchy [twitchy.com] on Topsy.com

**Epidemic** · August 6th, 2012, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by The Real Bingo

It's happening...

in the scope and scale of horrors done to fellow humans, The time we live in is definitely one of the better times to live in. 2012 my ass. I think I would rather live today than over most of the years leading up to the last hundred.

**tony_j15** · August 6th, 2012, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by Taxmancometh

Twitter Trackbacks for Left blames Wisconsin temple shooting on Michelle Bachmann and â€˜racists like herâ€™ | Twitchy [twitchy.com] on Topsy.com

Originally Posted by tony_j15

You peruse that feculence?

EDIT: Shooter identified as US Army veteran. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/07/us...-shooting.html

**Theophylact** · August 6th, 2012, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by Epidemic

in the scope and scale of horrors done to fellow humans, The time we live in is definitely one of the better times to live in. 2012 my ass. I think I would rather live today than over most of the years leading up to the last hundred.

At my age, I would have been dead several times a century ago: Severe and repeated tonsillitis, peptic ulcer, coronary artery occlusion, diverticulitis. But that's not to say that everything's better now.

By the way: The homicide rate in the US was far higher a century ago. But mass murders were extremely rare (not counting, of course, race riots).

**Chuckiechan** · August 6th, 2012, 11:22 AM

I remember during 911, my two son's and I interfered with something that looked like it was heading for trouble with two Sikh's walking in our area.

When we stopped the car next to them, the guys flipped us off, call us names and left. The Sikh's were grateful for our help.

Helps to know who you are dealing with.

Sometimes I think I should start carrying again...

**Epidemic** · August 6th, 2012, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by Theophylact

At my age, I would have been dead several times a century ago: Severe and repeated tonsillitis, peptic ulcer, coronary artery occlusion, diverticulitis. But that's not to say that everything's better now.

By the way: The homicide rate in the US was far higher a century ago. But mass murders were extremely rare (not counting, of course, race riots).

Ummmm, I think that is what I was saying.

someone indicated that the world was coming to an end like 2012 appocalypse. I said that I felt the last 100 years has been a pretty good time period and that i would prefer living today than through out most of history. I should probably amend that to the last 67 years though. WWII was a pretty stinky time for genocide and general misery.

I feel we have things pretty good right now from a crime rate, genocide rate, and general quality of living. The time we live in is far from being a hellish anarchy even with a couple of mass shootings..

**Theophylact** · August 6th, 2012, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by Epidemic

I feel we have things pretty good right now from a crime rate, genocide rate, and general quality of living. The time we live in is far from being a hellish anarchy even with a couple of mass shootings..

Not so sure about the genocide rate. The Congo War has consumed an estimated 3 million lives; it just doesn't make the papers much.

**Theophylact** · August 6th, 2012, 12:13 PM

From SPLC:

The man who allegedly murdered six people at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee yesterday, identified in media reports as Wade Michael Page, was a frustrated neo-Nazi who had been the leader of a racist white-power band.

In 2010, Page, then the leader of the band End Apathy, gave an interview to the white supremacist website Label 56. He said that when he started the band in 2005, its name reflected his wish to “figure out how to end people’s apathetic ways” and start “moving forward.” “I was willing to point out some of my faults on how I was holding myself back,” Page said. Later, he added, “The inspiration was based on frustration that we have the potential to accomplish so much more as individuals and a society in whole.” He did not discuss violence in the interview.

Page told the website that he had been a part of the white power music scene since 2000, when he left his native Colorado on a motorcycle. He attended white power concerts in Georgia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Colorado. At various times, he said, he also played in the hate rock bands Youngland (2001-2003), Celtic Warrior, Radikahl, Max Resist, Intimidation One, Aggressive Force and Blue Eyed Devils. End Apathy, he said, included “Brent” on bass and “Ozzie” on drums; the men were former members of Definite Hate and another band, 13 Knots.

In 2000, the Southern Poverty Law Center has found that Page also attempted to purchase goods from the neo-Nazi National Alliance, then America’s most important hate group.

**tony_j15** · August 6th, 2012, 12:59 PM

**sharder8** · August 6th, 2012, 01:24 PM

General discharge for "patterns of misconduct" in '98 . . . hm-m-m-m-m . . . my guess is that the Army saw something coming and didn't want to be party to it.

I know a number of military Facebook pages are trying to find anyone who served with him for input . . .

BTW, while I've been hearing all these comments about how peace loving the Sikh's are, they are also known as some of the fiercest fighters around. Sikh's served heavily in the US Army, mainly in SF units, until the Army stated the beards and turbans could no longer be worn.

I've been friends with a couple Sikh's and you can't find a better friend.

Harder

**Epidemic** · August 6th, 2012, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by Theophylact

Not so sure about the genocide rate. The Congo War has consumed an estimated 3 million lives; it just doesn't make the papers much.

Usually when i refer to life it is centered around the life we in America or we in the industrialized countries. So I guess there could be some pretty horrific things happening else where. But to be fair these mass shootings are in America Life is pretty good here compared with the past 400 to 500 years.

**sharder8** · August 6th, 2012, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by Epidemic

Usually when i refer to life it is centered around the life we in America or we in the industrialized countries. So I guess there could be some pretty horrific things happening else where. But to be fair these mass shootings are in America Life is pretty good here compared with the past 400 to 500 years.

Hate to break your bubble Epi . . . but, there have been some very serious massacres of large numbers, here in the US in the last 200 years. Even in the last 150 years . . .

Harder