The FBI will investigate Sunday's rampage at a Sikh temple in a
Milwaukee suburb as a "domestic terrorist-type incident" that left at
least six people and the gunman dead,the town's police chief said.
Another three people were
wounded, including the first officer to respond to the scene, Oak Creek
Police Chief John Edwards said. A second officer returned fire, killing
the suspect, according to the chief.
All three of the wounded
were in critical condition at Milwaukee's Froedtert Hospital,
spokeswoman Carolyn Bellin told CNN. The congregation's president was
among the wounded, his nephew said.
And another man told the
CNN affiliate WTMJ, "Nobody's angry here. We're just confused. Was this a
random act? Was this directed at us because of the way we look?"
Authorities have not
identified the gunman by name, though Thomas Ahern, a spokesman with the
ATF's Chicago division, described him as a white male roughly 40 years
of age.
Like other officials,
Ahern said authorities have not determined a motive, adding "we are a
long way away from that right now." Teresa Carlson, special agent in
charge at the FBI's Milwaukee division, said late Sunday that
investigators are still assessing whether this "might be an act of
domestic terrorism, no motive has been determined at this time."
The Sikh religion
originated in northern India around 1500 and has about 25 million
followers, 700,000 of them in the United States, according to the Sikh
American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Because of their customary
beards and turbans, Sikh men are often confused for Hindus or Muslims --
and have been the targets of hate crimes since the September 11, 2001,
attacks on New York and Washington, said Surinder Singh, a spokesman for
the Guru Nanak Mission Society of Atlanta.
"We were the victims of
mistaken identity, and a few Sikhs were gunned down during that time,"
Singh said. A Sikh man was killed in Phoenix in apparent retaliation for
the attacks that had been carried out by the Islamic terrorist group al
Qaeda, and Singh said the entire Sikh community "will be kind of
scared" following Sunday's killings.
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."
A law enforcement
official briefed on the investigation confirmed the shooter was wearing a
white T-shirt and did not have a bulletproof vest.
Kaleka said the gunman started shooting in the parking lot, "then entered into the temple and proceeded to open fire."
"It seems the few
casualties that have been divulged to me have been the equivalent of
priests, the holy leaders of our people," he said. "My uncle is one of
the administrators of the temple. It's mainly those individuals who have
been targeted or shot. Maybe it's because the ladies were fortunate
enough to dodge it out, but so far most of the people I've heard have
been shot and killed were all turbaned males."
Police searched the
suspect's home, "a short distance" from the temple, on Sunday evening,
according to a law enforcement source with direct knowledge of the
investigation. A single semi-automatic pistol believed to have been used
by the gunman was found at the scene, along with the wounded officer's
weapon, the source said.
Initial reports were
that there may have been multiple attackers, but police found no
indication of another gunman, said Bradley Wentlandt, the police chief
in nearby Greenfield.
The Oak Creek temple, or
gurdwara, opened in 2007 and has a congregation of more than 350.
Family members gathered outside told WTMJ that survivors were being
taken to a nearby bowling alley so they could be interviewed by police.
"Our dear ones and near
ones are injured and hurt, and we are trying to find out what happened,"
said Darshan Dhaliwal, a congregation leader.
Congregation president
Satwant Kaleka was shot and wounded when he attempted to tackle the
gunman, his son, Amardeep Kaleka told WTMJ. His mother -- who hid in a
closet during the violence -- was too distraught to talk, he said.
State Rep. Josh Zepnick
said many members of the Milwaukee area's Sikh community are among his
constituents and described himself as being "torn to shreds" by the
attack.
"It's a very
peace-loving community that has successfully integrated and assimilated
into the metropolitan Milwaukee area," Zepnick told WTMJ.
And state Rep. Mark Honadel, whose district includes the temple, called the attack "craziness."
"Unfortunately, when
this type of stuff hits your area, you say to yourself, 'Why?' But in
today's society, I don't think there's any place that's free from
idiots," Honadel said.
The American branch of
the World Sikh Council, meanwhile, said Sunday was "a troubling day, not
only for Sikh-Americans, but also for all Americans."
"We urge all to pray for
the victims, their families and friends, and the surrounding
community," the group said. "We also express our gratitude towards the
law enforcement authorities for their prompt and effective response to
the situation as it unfolded."
State and national
political leaders also offered statements of condolence after the
killings, which came two weeks after a massacre at a Colorado movie
theater that left 12 dead and dozens more wounded.
"Our hearts go out to
the victims and their families, as we all struggle to comprehend the
evil that begets this terrible violence," Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker
said in a statement issued by his office. "At the same time, we are
filled with gratitude for our first responders, who show bravery and
selflessness as they put aside their own safety to protect our neighbors
and friends."
In a statement from the
White House, President Barack Obama said the United States had been
"enriched" by Sikhs, "who are a part of our broader American family."
"My administration will
provide whatever support is necessary to the officials who are
responding to this tragic shooting and moving forward with an
investigation," Obama said.
And from Boston, Obama's
presumptive Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, called the slayings "a
senseless act of violence and a tragedy that should never befall any
house of worship." He said the hearts of he and his wife, Ann, "are with
the victims, their families, and the entire Oak Creek Sikh community."