Police in Wisconsin have called the Gurudwara shooting that killed seven people in Wisconsin on Sunday morning as an act of domestic terrorism.
The FBI is currently overseeing the investigation into the incident, where a lone gunman opened fire at a Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Milwaukee, leaving at least 25 people wounded. The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. CDT (1530 GMT), when worshippers gathered at the temple for morning prayers.
The gunman, who later died of multiple gunshots fired by the police, was identified as a tall, bald white man, around 40 years of age and with a tattoo on his arm that read 9/11. Authorities are yet to ascertain the gunman's motive.
According to NBC News, officials said that the incident was the work of a white supremacist or a person with radical beliefs, but found no reason to believe he was part of some radical organisation. The gunman served in the US Army and his criminal record included a few traffic violations.
"We're treating this as a domestic terrorist-type incident," Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards said in a press statement. As the incident was classified as an act of terrorism carried by someone within the US, the FBI will be leading the case, Edwards added according to CTV News.
"While the FBI is investigating whether this matter might be an act of domestic terrorism, no motive has been determined at this time," Teresa Carlson, FBI Special Agent in Charge with the agency's Milwaukee division, said in a statement.
With their turban head gear and beards, Sikhs are often mistaken for Muslims, and are a regular target in hate crimes in the country, Reuters report said.
Reports said that law enforcement officials were issued a search warrant for a duplex in Cudahy, which is believed to be the gunman's home. Neighbours and nearby residents were evacuated from the area as officials inspected the premises. The bomb squad unit was also put on alert and called to the scene.
Sunday's shooting solicited a commitment from the Obama administration to commence an investigation into the shooting. "The president said that he wanted to make sure that as we denounce this senseless act of violence we also underscore how much our country has been enriched by our Sikh community," the White House said in a statement.
