Investigators Had Eye on Sikh Temple Shooter

Federal investigators had their eye on Sikh temple shooter Wade Michael Page a number of times because they were concerned about his white supremacist ties and background—but never took any action against him, a senior law enforcement source tells the Los Angeles Times. Investigators suspected he may have donated money to a domestic terror group, but didn't have enough evidence to move beyond their suspicions, the source said. The Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center also tracked Page, gathering information from web forums and pamphlets, initially because of his links to two skinhead bands. He was also believed to be a member of white supremacist group Hammerskins.

Twelve years ago, Page attempted to purchase goods from the neo-Nazi group the National Alliance, Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center tells the New York Times, adding that no information about Page was ever passed on to law enforcement agencies because Page was just "one of thousands" of Americans with similar leanings. A neighbor was stunned by the shooter's rampage. Page had just broken up with a girlfriend in June. “He didn't seem angry. He seemed more emotionally upset," said the neighbor. "He wasn’t mad. He was hurt." A statement from Page's family sent to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said they were "devastated" by the tragedy. (More Sikh stories.)