OAK CREEK, Wis. (AP) - More details are emerging about yesterday's deadly shootings at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. Authorities say 40-year-old Army veteran Wade Michael Page walked into the suburban Milwaukee temple without saying a word and opened fire with a 9mm handgun that was purchased legally.
They say he killed a woman and five men before being shot dead in an exchange of gunfire with a police officer.
The police chief says that officer was shot eight to nine times at close range. He's in critical condition.
Two other people were critically wounded. The dead ranged in age from 39 to 84.
The FBI says it has no reason to believe anyone other than Page was involved. A civil rights group describes Page as a "frustrated neo-Nazi." The Southern Poverty Law Center says he used to play in heavy-metal, white-power bands called Definite Hate and End Apathy.
A defense official says Page served in the Army from 1992 to 1998, working as a repairman for the Hawk missile system before becoming a psychological operations specialist. The defense official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information.
The Tri-State plays host to a large Sikh community. 400 families call Cincinnati home and many turned out for a special prayer service on Sunday night at the temple in West Chester.
Other denomiations are offering their support, includig the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, which issued a statment on Monday morning saying they are "deeply concerned about this incident at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The loss of life is indeed tragic and we strongly condemn this inhuman act of killing innocent people at a place of worship. All places of worship, regardless of their denomination, are sacred and deserve to be protected. We stand united with our brothers and sisters in the Sikh community, as well as other Americans, in mourning their loss. We are hopeful that the FBI and other law enforcement officials will conduct a thorough investigation and bring any other culprits that might be involved, to justice."
Meanwhile in India, the birthplace of Sikhism, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was "shocked and saddened" by the shooting.
"That this senseless act of violence should be targeted at a place of religious worship is particularly painful," Singh, himself a Sikh, said Monday. "India stands in solidarity with all the peace-loving Americans who have condemned this violence."
Who belongs to the Sikh community? The country's main Sikh political party, the Shiromani Akali Dal, held a demonstration in New Delhi's embassy district Monday to protest.
"Stop racial attacks on Sikhs," read one of the placards.
In an act of solidarity, U.S. Ambassador Nancy Powell visited a historical Sikh shrine in New Delhi, embassy spokesman Unni Menon said.
Sunday's attack occurred about 10:30 a.m., when temple members were reading scriptures and cooking food in preparation for the main Sunday service and community lunch. The temple has more than 350 members.
According to witnesses, the gunman started shooting in the parking lot, killing at least one person. He then entered the temple and continued firing, they said.
Women who were in the kitchen preparing meals for the congregants "were fortunate enough to basically duck down and dodge" the bullets, said Kanwardeep Singh Kaleka, the temple member.
Some ran to safety outside, others sought refuge in the temple's basement, while many huddled together tightly in the pantry.
The gunman shot and wounded the first officer to respond to the scene, Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards said. A second officer returned fire, killing the shooter and bringing an end to the bloodshed, according to the chief.
A 9 mm semiautomatic pistol believed to have been used by the gunman was found at the scene, a law enforcement source with direct knowledge of the investigation said.
It took several more hours for authorities to thoroughly sweep the building and the surrounding area, checking for clues and signs of additional gunmen, as some witnesses had suspected.
Police spent Sunday night searching the shooter's home in nearby Cudahy, a short distance from the temple.
April Reyna, who lives around the corner from the shooter's house, said she had said hello to him on one or two occasions and that he seemed pleasant and quiet.
National and state political leaders, including Gov. Scott Walker, also offered condolences after the killings, which came two weeks after a massacre at a Colorado movie theater that left 12 dead and dozens more wounded.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney called the slayings "a senseless act of violence and a tragedy that should never befall any house of worship."
And 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," he said.
The Sikh religion originated in northern India around 1500 and has about 25 million followers.
The United States is home to about 700,000 Sikhs, nearly all of Indian origin. The men are easily identifiable by their beards and turbans, a tradition that's lasted for 500 years.
But the attire and appearance have also meant that they are often mistaken for Muslims and are targets of anti-Islamic attacks from those who seek to avenge the September 11 attacks.
The first person murdered in retaliation for the 9/11 attacks was a Sikh -- Balbir Singh Sodhi, a gas station owner in Mesa, Arizona. He was shot five times by aircraft mechanic Frank Roque on September 15, 2001.
In the intervening years, the Sikh Coalition, a New York-based advocacy group, reported more than 700 attacks or bias-related incidents.
