Sikh Temple Shooter In Wisconsin Identified As Page

Wade Michael Page

Deceased gunman at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin has been identified as Wade Michael Page of Cudahy.

By H. Nelson Goodson

August 6, 2012

Cudahy, WI - On Monday, multiple media outlets are reporting that the deceased suspect involved on Sunday's deadly massacre at the Oak Creek Sikh Temple was identified as Wade Michael Page, 40, of Cudahy, Wisconsin. He has a military background and possible ties to a supremacy group. Page an Army veteran served in the Iraq war.

Page recently moved into the Cudahy area in July, according to police.

On Sunday, family members confirmed that Satwant Singh Kaleka, 65, the president of the Sikh Temple had been fatally shot by the suspect. Kaleka confronted and struggled with Page just after 10:15 a.m. inside the temple lobby.

Page managed to shoot Kaleka in the back. Kaleka later bled to death as a result of his injuries. 

The local Sikh Temple is located at 7512 S. Howell Ave. Page, a White male suspect went to the temple after 10:15 a.m. and opened fire killing six victims between the ages of 39 to 84, including Kaleka and another man in the parking lot. Three of the deceased victims were also brothers.

Two children were outside and saw the shooting incident. They both ran inside the temple to warned others. 

A man arriving at the temple in a taxi was immediately shot by the suspected gunman. The suspect afterwards went inside and killed four other people in the temple.

Three victims were confirmed injured, Baba (priest) Punjab Singh and Baba Santokh Singh, including Oak Creek Police Lieutenant Brian Murphy, 51. At least 100 people were attending a peaceful Sunday sermon by a guest from India. The guest (considered a saint) was also reported killed and three priests were shot at the scene. A high priest managed to escape from the shooting scene.

Several Oak Creek officers responding to the scene after 10: 26 a.m. were confronted by Page who shot Lt. Murphy while trying to help a victim. Murphy was shot with a 9mm handgun between 8 to 9 times by Page in an ambush. Lt. Murphy remains in critical condition due to a serious neck injury. A second officer at the scene returned fire with a squad assault rifle and killed Page in the parking lot. Murphy is expected to survive, according to Chief John Edwards, from the Oak Creek Police Department.

Three injured victims, including Lt. Murphy were taken to Froedtert hospital for treatment. The victims were reported in critical condition.

S.W.A.T. members went inside the temple and secure the temple. Chief Edwards confirmed that it was a domestic terrorist incident by a lone suspect.

The suspect from Cudahy lived in the 3700 block of E. Holmes Ave. where federal investigators secured his upper duplex apartment. A federal search warrant was issued and the feds returned to Page's apartment on Monday to gather evidence, according to Teresa Carlson, FBI agent in charge. The FBI has taken over the investigation.

The deceased victims were identified as:

Sita Singh, 41,

Ranjit Singh, 49,

Satwant Singh Kaleka, 65,

Prakash Singh, 39,

Paramjit  Kaur, 41,

and Suveg Singh, 84.

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