The gunman in yesterday’s shooting at a Sikh temple outside Milwaukee has been identified:
(CBS/AP) OAK CREEK, Wis. – The suspect in a shooting that left six people dead at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee on Sunday has been identified as Wade Michael Page.
Authorities confirmed to CBS News on Monday that Page was the suspect in the shooting. He was killed outside the temple in a shootout with police officers after the rampage that left terrified congregants hiding in closets and others texting friends outside for help.
Multiple sources tell CBS News that Page was a former member of the U.S. military, but he was no longer serving actively. It was not immediately clear under what circumstances Page left the military.
Officials had previously described the suspect as a heavy-set, 40-year-old Caucasian with numerous tattoos.
Sources tell CBS News some unspecified evidence suggests race or ethnicity may have played a role in the violence, but no links to extremist groups have been confirmed.
Local police called the attack an act of domestic terrorism, but other sources tell CBS News correspondent Bon Orr it may be more accurate to refer to “an investigation into a possible hate crime.”
Neither the local nor the federal sources provided further details or suggested a possible motive, including whether the suspect specifically targeted the Sikh temple
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has more details about the state of the investigation but there’s not much new information at the moment, that will have to wait until the police talk to the press later this morning. Until then, we should probably not jump to any conclusions about motive and such other matters, but this information doesn’t sound good at all.
