Wade Michael Page Profile: Sikh Gunman Had White Supremacist Ties
Wade Michael Page has been identified as the person responsible for the Sikh temple shooting which left seven dead, including the gunman. A profile of the shooter reveals that Page had a history of racial bias.
Wade Michael Page, 40, has been described as a white supremacist. A former member of the U.S. Army, Page was discharged in 1998 for patterns of misconduct. While motives behind the shooting that resulted in Page and six others being shot and killed at an Oak Creek Sikh temple still remain unclear, the profile of Page has begun to develop.
Police are currently handling the incident as a case of domestic terrorism. It was revealed that Page had a 9/11 tattoo and many claim that page had a number of issues with the individuals responsible for the attack; others considered Page to be a skinhead.
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The latest reports have stated that Page joined the Volksfront Fraternal Cultural Organization before the shooting occurred. The organization states on its webpage that no "political ideology adequately addresses the social and economic perils facing White and European persons today," and there promotes a "community based on self-reliance and self-betterment, tending to our own interests without reliance on a failed system and the failed tactics."
While law enforcement officials stated that Page was affiliated with the organization, the organization itself has denied that Page was a member.
Page "has never been a member of, or associate of our organization," the group said in a statement on Monday. They referred to the killings as "an act of demented criminal cowardice." It is not the first time that an alleged member of Volksfront has been associated with domestic terrorism based crime. In 2007, a different member was found guilty after an attack on a synagogue.
Page was also the frontman for the End Apathy band, which was signed by Label56, a company known for supporting white Supremacist bands. In response to the shooting, the label has removed all images regarding the band.
The company attests that they "have never sought attention by using 'shock value' symbols and ideology that are generally labeled as such," in a statement on its website. "With that being said, all images and products related to End Apathy have been removed from our site. We do not wish to profit from this tragedy financially or with publicity."
The parents of Page have issued a statement of apology and offered their prayers to the victims.
"While there can be no words of comfort that will make sense of what happened that day, please be aware that our thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and their families. We share in their grief," they said via text to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
