Thursday, August 9, 2012

Suspected temple gunman's ex-girlfriend arrested

Police say they have arrested the former girlfriend of the gunman who allegedly shot and killed six people in a Sikh temple after authorities found a gun in the home they once shared.

Milwaukee police released a statement on Tuesday after the arrest of Misty Cook, saying, "In a joint investigation with the FBI, the South Milwaukee Police Department has arrested Misty Cook on the crime of felon in possession of a firearm. Charges will be sought through the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office."

A federal law enforcement official told ABC News that Cook was taken into custody on the grounds that she is prohibited from having a gun as a convicted felon. Cook was charged in 2002 for fleeing and eluding a traffic officer.

There's no indication she was involved with the attack. Much like her ex-boyfriend, according to the Anti-Defamation League, Cook was involved in white supremacy.

Cook's relationship with Page fell apart in the weeks leading up to his alleged shooting spree at a Sikh temple. Sharon and Terry Page -- who said they are unrelated to the shooter, Wade Michael Page -- live below Cook, who at one time shared an apartment with Wade Michael Page.

According to Sharon and Terry Page, Cook and Wade moved in to the apartment on March 1, but Wade moved out in the middle of June. After that point, according to comments Cook made to Sharon, Wade virtually disappeared.

"She told us that for six weeks she hadn't heard anything of him," Sharon said. "That would have been about the time after he left, so she must have gotten a hold of a co-worker and said he hadn't been at work for three weeks. She said he kind of just dropped off the face of the earth."

Sharon and Terry Page said Cook and Wade were both were quiet and "never really talked to us at all really."

In Oak Creek, Wis., thousands gathered Tuesday in an outpouring of support for victims of the Sikh temple shooting last Sunday.

In a downtown park, attendees lit candles, flew orange Sikh flags, listened to Sikh music, joined in Sikh prayer, and donned patkas, a common Sikh head covering. Speakers described the victims' lives. Onstage a group formed a sign that read, "Practice Peace."

"What we learned, you know, about the shooter is he did stuff with music that was completely full of hate and energy that was brain-washing to himself," said Amardeep Kaleka. Kaleka's father, Satwant Singh Kaleka, was president of the temple and among those shot and killed.

In the days following the shooting, authorities have uncovered Page's descent into hate through his music, on white-supremacist websites and even on the tattoos that marked his body.

"It's still unreal. Unbelievable. Unfathomable," said Heather Owen, who attended the vigil with her two young children. "This is where I grew up. It's way too close to home."

But she expressed confidence that the town will rally in the face of tragedy.

"It's a tight-knit community and leaning on everybody's shoulders, that's what we do," she said.

Members of the Sikh community here were highly emotional, but impressed by the warm display of support this evening.

"Right now to see the community getting together -- it is not only our Sikh community, even the community like Americans -- everybody getting together holding a candlelight vigil, which is really remarkable because this is the time we have to be together," said Inderjit Grewal. "You know, show peace. Show to the world that we are together."

Among the attendees were Gov. Scott Walker, Sen. Herb Kohl and Rep. Paul Ryan, who represents this district of Wisconsin.

"It's just nice to see everybody coming over here. It's profoundly sad and we're all grieving," Ryan said. "Everybody has their ways of showing support for the Sikh community. The Sikhs have been a great part of our community for a long time and we just want to show them how much we love them and how much we're grieving for them."

The shooting last Sunday morning in this town just south of Milwaukee left seven dead, including the gunman Wade Michael Page, who had ties to white supremacist groups.

ABC News' Caroln McKinley and Angela Hill contributed to this report.

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Source: http://gma.yahoo.com/wisconsin-gunman-wade-michael-pages-ex-girlfriend-arrested-051737408--abc-news-topstories.html

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