Racist coward Wade Michael Page blew his brains out before cops could bring him to justice for slaughtering six innocent Sikh worshipers, authorities in Wisconsin revealed today.
It’d been previously reported that Page was brought down by officers responding to bloodshed at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin on Sunday morning.
But feds and local officials said they now know Page — a neo-Nazi punk active in the white-power music scene — fatally shot himself just after he was hit by police fire in Oak Creek, Wisc. It is unclear if the police bullets would have been enough to kill him.
“It [police fire] was a body shot, potentially fatal,” said FBI Special Agent Teresa Carlson. “But would it have killed him? I don’t know.”
Page, 40, had just moved into nearby Cudahy after a bad breakup with his live-in girlfriend, the killer’s neighbors said.
Ex-gal pal Misty Cook was arrested on Sunday in nearby South Milwaukee on a weapons charge. But authorities today downplayed any connection between that bust and Page’s violent, racist rampage.
“It [the arrest] was brief and she was then released and she has not been in custody since that time,” US Attorney James Santelle said.
Cook told the Los Angeles Times that attention should be given to “the heroes” of Sunday’s shooting — and not or Page.
She singled out Satwant Singh Kaleka, the 65-year-old president of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, who died trying to stab Page with a butter knife.
“I hope the majority of focus will be on celebrating the lives of the heroes in this situation,” she wrote in an e-mail to the LA newspaper.
“I find the good work that Satwant Singh [Kaleka] did for his people and his heroic last act are far more newsworthy than anything I could say.”
Cook, at one point, seemed to share her ex-boyfriend’s racist beliefs.
The Anti-Defamation League released a picture of Cook wearing a “Volksfront” t-shirt, in apparent support of the West Coast-based, neo-Nazi hate group.
Cook did a 180-turn from her Volksfront past and praised the “admirable” Sikh community.
“The reaction of the Sikh community around the world has been admirable,” she said.
“Their advocation for education and understanding is something we should all try to emulate. The responding officers, especially Brian Murphy, are heroes in my book for preventing further bloodshed.
“A time of healing is needed for all affected by this tragedy, and I hope that people will look to supporting the victims and their families at this time.”
In addition to the six innocent worshippers Page killed, he also wounded two other temple members and blasted hero Oak Creek police Lt. Brian Murphy with at least eight shots at close range.
Murphy was attending to a fallen worshipper outside the temple, when Page ambushed him.
The courageous cop miraculously survived and urged first responders to pass him by and worry about the wounded worshippers.
“He was up walking [yesterday at the hospital]. He’s up walking, they had him sitting up for a period of time,” Oak Creek police chief John Edwards said. “He’s progressing amazingly and we’re very very grateful for that.”
There’s no temple security footage of Page, but police video apparently captured some of the carnage.
“There is [police] video, eventually that will be released that will be released at the proper time,” Edwards said.