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Subscribe to RSSWhile investigators continue to search for a motive in the deadly shooting at a Sikh temple in Wis., they say alleged gunman Wade Michael Page was active in the white supremacist scene for at least 12 years, playing in two bands associated with racist skinheads.
The gunman who allegedly attacked a Sikh temple in southern Wisconsin, killing six people and wounding four, was a “white supremacist skinhead” and “frustrated neo-Nazi” who led a white power punk and metal band, groups that track extremism said Monday.
Wade Michael Page, 40, was the founder of End Apathy, according to Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center. In a blog post about Page, Potok cited an April 2010 interview that the alleged gunman gave to the “Uprise Direct” music website about the band’s work.
MySpace, End Apathy
A photo of Wade Michael Page, 40, who is accused of killing six people and wounding four others at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis.
Page said his band, which formed in 2005, “was based on trying to figure out what it would take to actually accomplish positive results in society and what is holding us back. A lot of what I realized at the time was that if we could figure out how to end people’s apathetic ways it would be the start towards moving forward. Of course after that it requires discipline, strict discipline to stay the course in our sick society.
“So, in a sense it was view of psychology and sociology. But I didn't want to just point the finger at what other people should do, but also I was willing to point out some of my faults on how I was holding myself back. And that is how I wrote the song ‘Self Destruct,’’ he said.
Mark Pitcavage, director of investigative research for the Anti-Defamation League, said Page was a member of the Hammerskins, "one of the oldest and largest hardcore racist skinhead groups," and identified himself as a Northern Hammerskin, part of the group’s upper Midwest branch.
End Apathy had been a featured band in recent years at many Hammerskin-organized white power music concerts, such as the August 2010 “Meet & Greet BBQ & Bands” in North Carolina, the Hammerskins’ St. Patty’s Day Show in March 2011 in Orlando, Fla., and Hammerfest 2011 last October in Orlando, Pitcavage noted in a blog post, in which he described Page as a "white supremacist skinhead."
Researchers say the alleged gunman in the Wisconsin Sikh temple was deeply involved in hate group subculture. The Army veteran, who was discharged for a drinking problem, played in two bands associated with racist skinheads. NBC's Pete Williams reports.
“We had identified Page several years ago as someone who was prominent in the white-power music scene,” he told NBC News. He said Page also used a pseudonym, “Jack Boot,” an apparent reference to the high military boots worn by members of dictatorial regimes such as Nazi Germany.
The white-power music scene is one of the main things that the Hammerskins do in the United States and is a “fairly important part of the white supremacist subculture" in the country, said Pitcavage. Because of Page's role in that music scene, he had already become linked with the Hammerskins through his involvement in bands tied to the group and his performances at their events.
Page became a “fully patched” member of the Hammerskins by late 2011 after going through an apprenticeship period. He had one of their tattoos on his right arm -- a sort of cogwheel with the numbers 838 inside it (838 is an alpha-numeric code that means “hail crossed hammers,” a reference to their logo of two-crossed hammers that was taken from Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”), Pitcavage said. The tattoo also had the group’s colors of red, black and yellow.
A photo of Page also showed that he had a Celtic Cross tattoo with the number 14 in it, which is a “major white supremacist symbol,” Pitcavage said.
The Hammerskins emerged in Texas in the mid-to-late 1980s and spread across the country. They are loosely organized, not hierarchical and tend to group themselves regionally.
“It has had a strong association with violence over the past several decades,” Pitcavage said, noting that it was not surprising that the alleged gunman “was a white supremacist because white supremacist shooting sprees tend to be directed at minorities.”
FBI probes background of Sikh temple shooting suspect
Sikhs reel after senseless attack: 'We're not Taliban'
Sikhs at the Golden Temple, their holiest shrine
Page said in the “Uprise” interview that his music was a mix of '80s punk, metal and Oi!, a subgenre of punk.
“The topics vary from sociological issues, religion, and how the value of human life has been degraded by being submissive to tyranny and hypocrisy that we are subjugated to,” he said in the interview.
Page was a “frustrated neo-Nazi who had been the leader of a racist white-power band,” wrote Potok, of the Southern Poverty Law Center. “In 2000, the Southern Poverty Law Center has found that Page also attempted to purchase goods from the neo-Nazi National Alliance, then America's most important hate group.”
The FBI was “looking at ties to white supremacist groups” in the case, said Teresa Carlson, FBI special agent in charge in Milwaukee. They were also investigating the attack as possible domestic terrorism, which she noted meant use of force or violence for social or political gain. The FBI did not have an active investigation on Page before Sunday.
Page, an Army veteran who served from 1992 to 1998 but was never deployed, said in the “Uprise” interview that he was from Colorado and that in 2000 he “wanted to basically start over.”
“So, I sold everything I owned except for my motorcycle and what I could fit into a backpack and went on cross country trip visiting friends and attending festivals and shows. I went to the Hammerfest 2000 in Georgia, over to North Carolina, up to Ohio, down to West Virginia, and out to California… .”
Since 2009, the United States has been in the middle of a “huge resurgence” of right-wing extremism largely split into two spheres: an anti-government extremist one, such as the militia movement, and white supremacists, Pitcavage said. The number of militia groups has quintupled in the past three years and there have been many arrests of white supremacists over the same time for acts of violence, he said.
The election of a non-white president and the struggling economy were the triggers, Pitcavage said.
“It’s just a huge number of incidents from the extreme right since 2009. It’s the biggest resurgence of right-wing extremist activity since the mid-1990s and the Oklahoma City bombing (in 1995), and it’s causing problems all around the country,” he added.
On End Apathy's Myspace page, the group listed its location as Nashville, N.C., and said they had finished recording for an upcoming release on Label 56, which the ADL described as a Maryland-based company that distributes racist skinhead music, videos and merchandise. The last login for the page was dated Feb. 21, 2012.
Label 56 issued a statement Monday saying that all images and products related to the group had been removed from their website.
“We do not wish to profit from this tragedy financially or with publicity,” said the label. “In closing please do not take what Wade did as honorable or respectable and please do not think we are all like that.”
Label 56 officials did not respond to an email and phone call seeking comment.
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Yea lets all be scared of the 10 bogey man "right wing milita men" that hide in the woods and play army. Yea theyre going to take over the US and make it nazi world. I think that group of people are in control of government now and Chicago. Overblown made up bogey men that are coming to get you.
jim, over-blown, really 6 dead not including the hater? Ridiculous post, government made me do it. Geez
Never said government made me do it. Just referencing the current government sure is power hungry control freaks becoming more nazi like and they are worried about 10 militia men hiding in the woods playing army. An excuse to scare the people into giving up more freedoms. Thats it pure and simple. Over blown in terms of hysterical media "Militia" you see more occupiers then "militia man" 7 are dead because of one nut job. They are no real threat to this country. I dont know if you have noticed cameras everywhere, red light cameras, speed cameras, light poles that can listen to you talk, cell phones with mandated gps,drones will be overhead soon, etc. Where does it stop? We have to vote out these crazy officials doing this to us.
There is only one person to blame and that person is the shooter. Too many of you are trying to put the blame on the Right or the Left. If he did that back in the 50's who would you've blamed? In the 80's it was the upbringing that was at fault. Unless you know for sure, beyond a doubt, no question in your mind, have proof, all you are doing is creating fear and hate.
Imagine if he were a black man...
pup, if a black committed this crime, it would still be an evil person doing an evil thing.
Obama 2012
Frustrated black neo-nazi? That was dumb.
LOL....
I'm confused... Didn't this country fight a war against this neo-nonsense? This is why you NRA fans need to stop and think for a minute. This kind of ethnic bias has no place in this country. There is an economic problem in the country, and we'll get though it. Let's not resort to economic anxiety to serve as an excuse for your crimes as well as your disdain of those not of your particular ilk.
Tell that to the NAACP, the Nation of Islam and the Black Panthers.
I equate this POS with the likes of the "new Black Panthers" who said..."kill ALL white people." OR...how bout Farrakhan who is blatantly anti-semitic, anti U.S., just a downright miserable racist. Why do we give any of these fringe elements any publicity?
How many white people have the New Black Panthers killed so far? How many has Farrakhan killed?
the, there are only 4 of those Panthers, meanwhile tens of thousands of the other haters. Evil is an equal opportunity inflicter.
These morons are all over Utah. We just call them Republicans here.
I'll bet all the Romney voters have all this Goth-music group's crummy-sounding, "million-selling Cd's"!
No doubt!!
(Now... watch these comment pages fill up with the usual anti-Obama BS, since the 'baggernuts and republiturds have continually shown the habit of not being able to control their pathetic, anti-Obama rants, and trolling selves on MSN! OOPS! Too late.)
40 years old in a neo-Nazi punk band? In other words, complete loser.
LOL, Bill you took the words right outta my mouth....*thumbs up*....
I mean 40 in a punk band, really?
Maybe he had a bad reaction from meth and Avodart.
bill, how about inbreeding, hate gene.
Obama 2012
He was just expressing his freedom of religion and freedom of speech is all. What did he do that was so wrong. He's not insane at all, he's simply stupid like so many other in this country. He was probably paid by the anti-gun factions to do this so they can proof that no one should have guns in this country. I would not put it past that Brady Bunch!!
Brady was Ronald Reagan's press secretary and was shot during an assassination attempt on Reagan.
He's just a liberal, communist sympathiser who wants your guns?
larry, Brady took a bullet for Reagan, so what's your point?
Obama 2012
Hey, skyparrot... the neo-thug sympathizer, larry-- won't answer you. He's probably listening to that garbage music right now. Larry is definitely an inbred. Married to another of his kissin' cousins.
Obama/Biden in 2012! No doubt!!
sure am C_D.....just like I did for my 28 years in the Army. You have no idea who I am. This neo thug is a joke just like you. You vote your mind and I'll vote mine. And you tell me in 4 years just how wrong you were. I knew Barry when he was organizing block parties in Chicago. He was a joke back then too.
Funny how NBC goes straight to some far-left progressive whackjob like Mark Pitcavage to comment on equal but opposite far-right nutjob like Page. It's like asking Rush Limberger to comment on O'blahblah or vice versa. No real news or insighful thought just a bunch of hateful BS rhetoric.
Of course, if you're a teabirther, Nazis like this guy is are liberal socialists. At least that's what they've been telling us for the last 4 years.
So, this guy is not "conservative" enough to be a teabirther? In fact, he's really a liberal progressive?
The list of wacko gun-toting right-winger domestic terrotists continues to grow in this country. And to think we were supposed to be worried about the left-wing to commit such acts of violence on American soil.
It is time for the federal government to root out these wackos. Trouble is, it's your next door neighbor with a gun in one hand and a Busch lite in the other and no GED hanging on the wall of their living room. Thanks Tea Party for promoting this right-wing rebellion.
Good comment radical left wing communist.
you are absolutly a nutcase, a looser, a scumbag at the lowest level. comunist pig. with your wacked out idealism. You sound just like obamas right hand man. that means you are a big black c-o-c-k. s-h-i-t-for brains. pdaohio.org
For left-wind violence you only have to look to more taxes and unfunded mandates. The violence is the emptying of your bank account.
wow, this, pretty nasty post, stooping to new lows with the gutter verbiage. Some of you folks need to let go of some of your rage and hatred, bad for the soul, will eat you alive.
Lets see did he bike, hike, run, maybee play video games,? or did he just play in a neo nazi band and was born an evil sadistic son of a gun as you would like the world to think. This guy does not stand a chance of an honest review. he will be called every name in the book and something will be found like drugs, or some type of bomb making equipment I mean after all that is the way the media works, lets make this guy sound like hitler for christ sake then we can pass new laws. go blow yourselfs.
Keep an eye on thisbud, folks.
Waiting for the NRA to defend the right of creeps like this to have a gun.
Daniel was glad 9/11 happened. He was rooting for the guys flying the planes. You little coward.
damiel a brown, Hey stupid The nra defends your right to. you are just a comunist pig that does not understand what freedom means.
tony, you are an ass, name calling and accusing others of wishing for catastrophes is unconscionable. Shameful rant, you're really a hater of anyone that doesn't agree with you. Make you somehow feel better to continue the verbal assaults.
Sky, I do not communicate with you radical left wing communists. So, go fornicate with a rolling donut.
No need to wait for the NRA to defend his right to have a gun. Plenty of their illiterate, beer swiling minions to do it. That way the NRA doesn't have to dirty their hands.
This country is splintered in just about every way possible.... the Untied States of America.
Will someone shut that idiot John from Battle creek up? That guy is the biggest socialist left wing nut I've ever seen. I would tell him to move to Canada but I wouldnt want to do that to them.
He actually is from Canada. He is an avowed communist and a circus mouse.
Are you guys letting him "get yer goat"?.... "pull yer chain"?
I'm the owner/operator of a small format firearms training business; I work with civilians, as well as members of law enforcement and the military on a very regular basis. So full disclosure.
Can somebody who's a proponent of removing guns from society please explain to me in detail their plan for taking guns -legally owned property- from 50-80 million Americans while ensuring none fall into the wrong hands? Let's push past the "why" for a moment and tell me how. Because nobody I've ever talked to actually has a plan. Heck, take something much less emotionally charged and tell me how you'd go about confiscating -say- musical instruments from everyone in America. I just want to hear the plan. Please.
They never have a plan, just "it is so horrible, something must be done". Just like poverty, global warming, the deficit, the debt, etc.
Just like 20- channel CB's. Stop making them, and they eventually are collected, neglected, or broken.
This reminds me of something I heard Larry The Cable Guy say one time..
"Yuppers those people who say guns kill people I gotta say it's the sound of them thar guns poppin' off that scares 'em probably. The other day I was at home and farted so loud that it sounded like a bomb going off and my next door neighbor, whose Iranian, surrended his rocket launcher to me....."
Always enjoy your posts, Pup1.
Hey ya Neal.....have a good day buddy!
In the head shot photo on NBCNEWS front page this guy looks just like Hasan. the Muslim that shot up Ft. Hood. At least until Hasan grew a beard. I can't believe they still haven't shaven him. It is against military regulations and he is still getting Major pay.
One thing that has been totally disregarded. The man was discharged from the Army and not honorable either. Why??? He's a Drunk. Time will tell if he had any alcohol in his system. Chances are Booze is what drove this man to kill under the guise of some Ideology. Better we ignore this fact. God forbid if we have a real discussion about how many people die from alcohol related deaths. No real accurate count, due to so many die of illnesses, accidents, suicides and murder brought on by alcoholism. Too much money to be made by everything associated with alcohol. Trust me I'm not calling for prohibition. I'm calling for accountability. It will only fall on drunk ears, I mean deaf ears.
I hope the Victims and their Families, the Officers involved, find Peace.
omg almost as many killed as were in the occupy camps..
no one gives a damb about those defending the right to protest, they are to busy being comunist dummies to be watching. true bro. The weak are the ones that will perish first.
Another White Supreme shooter. And to think that most White people think only Black people are involved in crimes. Yep some Black people are involved in violent crimes, but some Whites seem to enjoy mass murder shootings. Phucked up people come in all colors!
do you thnk he hates jews as much as jesse jack or screwy louie farakan?
All one has to do to see ALL THE HATE THAT EXISTS IN THE US is read these boards...The fact that there are so many filled with hate based upon race, religion, etc shows up here EVERY DAY...If this country is to ever have peace people must realize THAT WE ALL CAME FROM THE SAME PLACE AND ALL ARE DESERVING OF LOVE AND WARMTH AND NOT THE VICIOUS HATE THAT IS SO PREVALENT in America...As soon as I heard about this I knew, sadly, that the shooter was probably a skinhead, racist, nut job...And it will end eventually..for better or worse...Sympathies to all....we are all in trouble....
Of course we came from the same place, but the real disagreement is to where are we going? I simply hate the ignorant slobs at both ends of the political spectrum that think their's is the ONLY WAY. The answers are, as they have always been, in the Center, where spineless politicians fear to tread.
Noe Nazi should be banned in the USA!
you cant obozo is president
And that pesky U.S. Constitution thingy.
You don't call a emergency room physician who resusitates a dying patient a failure; President Obama resusitated a dying capitalist system and now the patient is in recovery. A lot different than the conservatives who would have pulled the plug and waited to see if the dying patient would recover on his own.
President Obama has turned around the economy - consider the free-fall into depression that was occurring when he took office. Yes we are much better off than we were 4 years ago.
While the recovery is slow and likely to be affected by the European recession caused by austerity; the financial market is doing fine, and Mitt Romney and his 1% privileged class should thank President Obama for restoring their wealth, and those with 401Ks for restoring their retirement funds.
We may not be happy that President Obama did not turn out to be another leader in the stature of Martin Luther King, but he has slaved to keep us from the destruction of the conservative right, by even trusting in bipartisanship of an obstructionist GOP Congress. The Tea Party GOP are weeds in the garden of democracy.