Gunman in Wisconsin temple massacre ID'd as Army vet
Wade Michael Page Credit: Alleged gunman Wade Michael Page (Getty)
The gunman who killed six worshippers at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin was identified as a 40-year-old U.S. Army veteran. Authorities said they were investigating possible links to white supremacist groups and his membership in skinhead rock bands.
The assailant, shot dead by police at the scene on Sunday, was identified as Wade Michael Page. He served as a soldier in the Army from 1992 to 1998, according to Oak Creek police chief John Edwards.
Federal authorities said they were treating the attack as a possible act of domestic terrorism, and were scouring Page's military records and investigating if the killing was a hate crime.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, Page was a member of two racist bands named End Apathy and Definite Hate.
U.S. military sources said Page had been discharged from the Army in 1998 for "patterns of misconduct." In June 1998 he was disciplined for being drunk on duty and had his rank reduced to specialist from sergeant. He was not eligible to re-enlist.
FBI special agent Teresa Carlson said authorities were interviewing Page's family and associates, searching for a motive behind the shooting that killed six and wounded three, including a police officer. A fourth person was wounded less seriously.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
