Given the political climate since the attacks of September 11th, 2001, and the all too often mistake of treating with prejudice anyone wearing anything wrapped around their head, it’s not a surprise that the attack at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin didn’t receive a lot of news coverage. It’s not a surprise, but it is a shame.
On August 5, 2012, Mr. Michael Page, a 40-year-old white supremacist, shot and killed six people in the Sikh Temple (properly called a gurdwara) in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Page used a single 9mm handgun to commit the attack and, after being shot in the stomach by responding officers, killed himself with a single shot to the head.
Two victims and one police officer, Lt. Brian Murphy, were transported to the hospital. Audio recordings and video released after the incident indicated that Lt. Murphy was the first responding officer to the incident and he was attacked by Page. Page shot Murphy no less than 15 times including once each in the front and back of his head. Miraculously, Murphy survived and the Sikh community rewarded him $110,000 for his heroism.
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The remainder of this article is part of the book "Active Killers and the Crimes They Perpetrated," available in print or ebook via Amazon.
Joshua Borelli
Joshua Borelli has been studying active shooter and mass attack events over the course of the past several years, commensurate with receiving training on response and recovery to natural disasters and civil disturbances. Joshua started to outline this series of articles in an attempt to identify commonalities and logistical needs patterns for response.
