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Wisconsin Sikh Temple Shooting

SOLVED2012Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Oak Creek, Wisconsin3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · suicide — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

On the morning of August 5, 2012, members of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek were preparing langar, a communal meal, ahead of children's classes scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Around 10:25 a.m. CDT, emergency calls reported a shooting at the gurdwara. Responding police officers engaged the gunman, later identified as 40-year-old Wade Michael Page, who had already shot several people inside the temple. Page shot and wounded the first responding officer, Lieutenant Brian Murphy, who was struck fifteen times at close range, including in the face and the back of the head, but survived. Another officer shot Page in the stomach, after which Page fatally shot himself in the head. Four people were killed inside the temple, and three, including Page, died outside.

The six people killed were Paramjit Kaur, 41; Satwant Singh Kaleka, 65, founder of the gurdwara; Prakash Singh, 39, a Granthi who had recently received his green card; Sita Singh, 41; Ranjit Singh, 49; and Suveg Singh, 84. All were members of the Sikh faith, and the male victims wore turbans as part of their religious practice. Four of the six were Indian nationals. A seventh victim, Baba Punjab Singh, a Sikh Granthi who was shot in the head and left partially paralyzed and unable to breathe independently or speak, died on March 2, 2020, at age 72; his death was ruled a homicide.

Page had legally purchased the 9mm Springfield XD(M) pistol used in the attack on July 28, 2012, at a gun shop in West Allis, Wisconsin, passing a background check and paying cash along with three 19-round magazines. He was a U.S. Army veteran, discharged in 1998 for a "pattern of misconduct," and had lived in Cudahy, Wisconsin. He had ties to white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups, reportedly including the Hammerskins, and had been involved in white-power music since 2000, founding the band End Apathy and playing in other racist bands. Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards said the department initially treated the incident as a domestic terrorism case before handing the investigation to the FBI, which also examined possible ties to white supremacist groups. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder described the shooting as "an act of terrorism, an act of hatred, a hate crime." Authorities said Page's motive died with him and was never conclusively established.

The shooting drew national and international responses, including condolences from President Barack Obama, who ordered flags flown at half-staff, and from Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Vigils were held in the United States, Canada, and India, and First Lady Michelle Obama visited the temple later that month. A congressional hearing on hate crimes was held in September 2012 in response to the attack.

Key facts

Victims
Sita Singh, Prakash Singh, Paramjit Kaur, Satwant Singh Kaleka, Ranjit Singh, Suveg Singh, Baba Punjab Singh
Date
2012
Location
Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2012-07-28

    Wade Michael Page legally purchases a 9mm Springfield XD(M) pistol and three magazines at a gun shop in West Allis, Wisconsin.

  2. 2012-08-05

    Page opens fire at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, killing six people and wounding four, including a responding officer, before fatally shooting himself after being shot by police.

  3. 2012-08-10

    Deadline set by President Obama for flags at federal buildings to be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims.

  4. 2012-08-22

    Lieutenant Brian Murphy, shot fifteen times during the attack, is discharged from the hospital.

  5. 2012-08-23

    First Lady Michelle Obama visits the Sikh temple in Oak Creek.

  6. 2012-09

    Authorities release squad car video recordings of the shooting, including the moment Murphy was shot and the gunman being shot by another officer.

  7. 2012-09-19

    A Congressional hearing on hate crimes is held before the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights in response to the shooting.

  8. 2020-03-02

    Baba Punjab Singh, injured in the 2012 shooting, dies at age 72; his death is ruled a homicide, making him the seventh fatal victim.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Sita Singh

    VICTIM

    Killed in the shooting, age 41.

    citation on file

  • John Edwards

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Oak Creek Police Chief who described the incident as a domestic terrorism investigation and commented on the unknown motive.

    citation on file

  • Prakash Singh

    VICTIM

    Killed in the shooting, age 39; served as a Granthi at the gurdwara.

    citation on file

  • Paramjit Kaur

    VICTIM

    Killed in the shooting, age 41.

    citation on file

  • Satwant Singh Kaleka

    VICTIM

    Killed in the shooting, age 65; founder of the gurdwara.

    citation on file

  • Ranjit Singh

    VICTIM

    Killed in the shooting, age 49.

    citation on file

  • Brian Murphy

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Responding police lieutenant shot fifteen times by the gunman; survived and was discharged from the hospital on August 22, 2012.

    citation on file

  • Wade Michael Page

    CONVICTED

    Perpetrator; died by suicide at the scene after being shot by police, so no criminal prosecution occurred. Identified by law enforcement and media as the sole shooter responsible for the killings.

    citation on file

  • Suveg Singh

    VICTIM

    Killed in the shooting, age 84.

    citation on file

  • Baba Punjab Singh

    VICTIM

    Shot in the head during the attack, left partially paralyzed; died March 2, 2020, at age 72, with his death ruled a homicide.

    citation on file

Places

Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Oak Creek, Wisconsin

42.9081, -87.9108

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On August 5, 2012, a gunman opened fire at a Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, killing six worshippers and wounding four others, including a responding police officer, before fatally shooting himself. A seventh victim died of his wounds in 2020, and his death was ruled a homicide.
Where did the shooting happen?
Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
Who was convicted?
Wade Michael Page (Perpetrator; died by suicide at the scene after being shot by police, so no criminal prosecution occurred. Identified by law enforcement and media as the sole shooter responsible for the killings.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. Wisconsin Sikh temple shootingwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — CNNnews · CNN · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — ABC Newsnews · ABC News · 2026-07-07
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