6 Aug 2012

Gunman kills six at Sikh temple in US

11:15 am on 6 August 2012

Seven people have died in a mass shooting at a Sikh temple in the American state of Wisconsin, including a gunman shot dead by a police officer who was himself wounded.

It was earlier thought a second gunman was holding hostages inside the temple in Oak Creek but police, who have evacuated the building, say that is not the case.

Authorities investigating the shooting say they are treating it as a "domestic terrorism type incident".

Members of the Sikh community have described the attack as a hate crime, saying they have been fearful something like this would happen since the attacks of 11 September, 2001.

Local police chief Bradley Wendtlandt four people were shot inside the temple and three outside, including the gunman. Three other people, including the police officer, were wounded.

The temple was full of worshippers when the shooting started.

Oak Creek is a town of about 30,000 people in the south-east corner of the state.