Monday, August 6, 2012

Motive Unclear

Police in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and the FBI are still trying to figure out why a shooter opened fire at a Sikh temple in the suburb of Milwaukee.

A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said the shooter had been discharged from the Army. The source said one firearm was recovered at the temple as well as multiple magazines.

Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards said officers arriving on the scene “stopped a tragedy that could have been a lot worse.”

Beyond the murders, three people were injured in the rampage.

They included an Oak Creek police officer who was helping a victim outside the temple when the gunman opened fire on him.

A second Oak Creek officer returned fire, killing the shooter.

The police officer and two other men were taken to Froedtert Hospital. All were in critical condition with gunshot wounds – one to the chest and abdomen, one to the neck, and the third to his face and extremities, a hospital spokesman said.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the FBI is labeling the shooting as domestic terrorism because of the tattoos on the shooter’s body. That implies a political motive.