The Other McCain

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Patch.com Reporter Jessica McBride Gets Scoop on Sikh Temple Shooting Suspect UPDATE: More Details Emerge

Posted on | August 5, 2012 | 12 Comments

Earlier I linked the report that the suspect in the Oak Creek Sikh Temple shooting had reportedly just broken up with his girlfriend. I urged caution because the source is secondhand: The mother of the suspect’s landlord. But kudos to Jessica McBride of the Patch for her resourcefulness in getting this scoop, the first personal information reported about the shooter, who police said was shot dead at the scene.

UPDATE: More details from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

A source familiar with the investigation said the shooter was a white male in his 40s who had been discharged from the Army. . . .
Kurt Weins said he rented the upper flat of the duplex authorities were searching to a single man in his 40s about month ago. Weins lives across the street from the duplex.
Weins said he had just been interviewed by law enforcement authorities and said he was uncomfortable providing much detail. However, he said, he was surprised by the attention his tenant has attracted.
“I had him checked out and he definitely checked out,” Weins said. “The cops told me they don’t want me to say nothing right now.”

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that it was the gunman’s tattoos that caused the FBI to declare this a “domestic terrorism” case. What kind of tattoos? We don’t know yet.

UPDATE II: OK, there are unconfirmed reports (including in the Hindustan Times) that the gunman’s tattoos referenced the 9/11 attacks, which is kind of confusing to me. If the guy was a military veteran, then a “Remember 9/11” tattoo would have a more or less patriotic symbolism. However, if the guy was military, he almost certainly would have understood that Sikhs had nothing to do with 9/11.

UPDATE III: A little more detail:

According to CNN, two semi-automatic handguns were recovered at the scene, and member of the temple described the gunman as tall male with what appeared to be a “9/11 tattoo.” Officials told NBC the suspect, who served in the U.S. Army, had many tattoos.

This report of a military veteran with a “9/11 tattoo” is, as I say, confusing. There are probably lots of military guys — and, for that matter, cops and firefighters — with tattoos of a patriotic “Never Forget” sort of message, none of whom would ever go on a murderous rampage.

Many have suggested that the attack on the Sikh Temple was, in fact, misdirected rage against Muslims, but as I said previously, it seems to me that someone from a military background would not make that kind of misidentification. Of course, going on a terroristic shooting rampage against Muslims would be equally senseless, but we cannot expect deranged killers to act on any logical or rational basis in choosing their targets.

UPDATE IV: The suspect has been identified as Wade Michael Page, 40.

Category: Crime, Wisconsin

Comments

12 Responses to “Patch.com Reporter Jessica McBride Gets Scoop on Sikh Temple Shooting Suspect UPDATE: More Details Emerge”

  1. Adjoran
    August 5th, 2012 @ 11:02 pm

    The Patch is a network of (I assume) volunteer reporters who post stories in their areas.  Some of them are quite good, not that modern journalism has any standards to beat.

  2. DonaldDouglas
    August 5th, 2012 @ 11:07 pm

    This one is good. Nice find, McCain!

  3. ‘It’s Pretty Much a Hate Crime’ — Seven Reported Dead in Sikh Temple Shooting UPDATE: Act of ‘Domestic Terrorism’ UPDATE: Liberals Blame Bachmann UPDATE: Report Says Shooter ‘Had Just Broken Up With His Girlfriend
    August 5th, 2012 @ 11:17 pm

    […] conclusions based on this one report. More information will be available soon enough.UPDATE XI: More details emerge on the killer.Category: Crime, WisconsinCommentsPingback: BREAKING NEWS! Shooting At Sikh Temple In Wisconsin | […]

  4. Thane_Eichenauer
    August 6th, 2012 @ 12:03 am

    I rather think that just because members of the military might see more of the world that they are much more aware of a population (compared to the average American) that is about 1/10th of 1% of the population of the United States.

  5. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    August 6th, 2012 @ 12:08 am

    I wait for further details.  Thanks for reporting.  

  6. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    August 6th, 2012 @ 12:16 am

    http://abcnews.go.com/US/sikh-temple-oak-creek-wisconsin-officials-white-supremacist/story?id=16933779#.UB9E4Y4larJ   Obviously when they said tattoos, you think this…

  7. GayPatriot » Evil in Wisconsin
    August 6th, 2012 @ 12:19 am

    […] details emerged, he provided more information about the shooter.  Let us not jump to conclusions until the evidence is in.  For now, we should […]

  8. Shawny Lee
    August 6th, 2012 @ 2:05 am

    Great scoop and thanks to Mr. Weins for sharing even that much with reporters.  I know people are getting stressed out with the economy, little, lawless POS dictator wannabe on deck, all the corruption going down, but damn, this mass shooter scenario to deal with it is insane.  And the fact is, if the left went so far as to blame the shooting of Gabby Giffords on Sarah Palin’s crosshairs B.S., they are gonna try to pin the blame on any group or individual they have on their hit list and they may go so far as to set them up.  Yes, I truly believe that. 

  9. Sikh Temple Investigated As Domestic Terrorism, Ft. Hood Shooting Is Still Just “Work Place Violence” | Wizbang
    August 6th, 2012 @ 8:17 am

    […] temple as an act of domestic terrorism, officials said Sunday.Stacy McCain gathered up a collection of local reports showing what was known (and not known) about the deceased subject. For the most part it turned out […]

  10. ‘Who’ Is First of 5 W’s; ‘Why’ Is Last UPDATE: Wade Michael Page : The Other McCain
    August 6th, 2012 @ 8:25 am

    […] whether Page was a member of either of those outfits.EXPECT FURTHER UPDATES . . .PREVIOUSLY:Aug. 5: Patch.com Reporter Jessica McBride Gets Scoop on Sikh Temple Shooting Suspect UPDATE: More Details E…Aug. 5: ‘It’s Pretty Much a Hate Crime’ — Seven Reported Dead in Sikh Temple Shooting […]

  11. PRESS CONFERENCE: ‘Heroic Actions’ of Police Saved Lives in Oak Creek Shooting : The Other McCain
    August 6th, 2012 @ 11:39 am

    […] ‘Why’ Is Last UPDATE: Wade Michael Page … MORE: Reported Discharged From Army in 1998Aug. 5: Patch.com Reporter Jessica McBride Gets Scoop on Sikh Temple Shooting Suspect UPDATE: More Details E…Aug. 5: ‘It’s Pretty Much a Hate Crime’ — Seven Reported Dead in Sikh Temple Shooting […]

  12. Obligatory Post-Massacre Finger-Pointing Scapegoating Blame Game Open Thread : The Other McCain
    August 6th, 2012 @ 3:15 pm

    […] Blame Bachmann UPDATE: Report Says Shooter ‘Had Just Broken Up With His Girlfriend’Aug. 5: Patch.com Reporter Jessica McBride Gets Scoop on Sikh Temple Shooting Suspect UPDATE: More Details E…Aug. 6: ‘Who’ Is First of 5 W’s; ‘Why’ Is Last UPDATE: Wade Michael Page … MORE: […]