WISCONSIN: Seven Dead Including Suspected Gunman At Sikh Temple

Seven people are dead including a suspected gunman after a mass shooting a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

A police officer was also shot and was in surgery at Froedtert Hospital, according to police spokesman Bradley Wentlandt. At least two adult men were also being treated at Froedtert for shooting wounds. They were in critical condition, according to initial reports. They said they were preparing for more victims in a "mass casualty incident." "The emergency medical personnel, the tactical personnel who have gone through the scene, they have initially identified what they believe to be four deceased inside the temple, and three deceased outside the temple, one of whom is the shooter," said Wendtlandt. Police did not initially identify any additional gunman on scene, but did not rule out the possibility of additional shooters. The president of the Sikh Temple, Satwant Singh Kaleka, was said to be one of the shooting victims. It was not initially known if he survived.

Commenters on conservative news sites are blaming Islamic militants. However early police reports described the dead suspected gunman as a "heavyset balding white male."


UPDATE: Sample comments on Breitbart cohort Gateway Pundit.

-"It was either a liberal black flag operation or a Muslim. There are no two ways about it. Another day in Obamaville."
-"We knew the Aurora shooter was a white male within minute of the slaughter. The fact no shooter has been named guarantees the butcher is some Pakistani muslim."
-"I think EVERY Sunday to election day that David Axelrod reads the polling data of Obama down 5…secret orders will go out from the undergroun bunkers of the communist party USA to wage some localized blood bath in a swing state. These are fast and furious operations gone mad….the Satanic fundamentalist version of Chic Fil A harassment campaigns."
-"This was a black flag fast and furious operation to malign white Christian gun owners, but they targeted the wrong congregation due to satanic incompetence. It’s another day in an Obama world."
-"You’ve got the title all wrong. It should read 'Second Amendment Hero goes on Liberty-spree; 7 dead.'"

UPDATE II: CNN reports that witnesses claim the shooter had a 9/11 commemorative tattoo. Unconfirmed as of this writing.

UPDATE III: President Obama has issued a statement.

Michelle and I were deeply saddened to learn of the shooting that tragically took so many lives in Wisconsin. At this difficult time, the people of Oak Creek must know that the American people have them in our thoughts and prayers, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who were killed and wounded. My Administration will provide whatever support is necessary to the officials who are responding to this tragic shooting and moving forward with an investigation. As we mourn this loss which took place at a house of worship, we are reminded how much our country has been enriched by Sikhs, who are a part of our broader American family.

UPDATE IV: The FBI has characterized the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism.

Tattoos on the body of the slain Sikh temple gunman and certain biographical details led the FBI to treat the attack at a Milwaukee-area temple as an act of domestic terrorism, officials said Sunday. [snip] The designation of “domestic terrorism” under the FBI’s rubric — which was not applied to the Aurora, Colo., theater shooting — implies a political agenda. The FBI defines terrorism as “the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.”

UPDATE V: NBC News reports more about the dead gunman.

A law enforcement official told NBC News the gunman was dressed in a white T-shirt and black tactical-style pants, which had several pockets for holding ammunition magazines. He was armed with a single handgun, the official said. His name was not released but police say they have a tentative ID and were searching his home. The location was not disclosed. [snip] Officials told NBC News the suspect, who served in the U.S. Army, had many tattoos. The suspect had some kind of radical or white supremacist views but, as far as officials said they had heard, he was not in any kind of radical organization. His previous run-ins with law enforcement involved traffic offenses, they said.