FBI suspects US shooting an act of domestic terrorism

Washington: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has said that it is investigating whether the shooting at a Gurudwara in the US is an act of "domestic" terrorism.

"While the FBI is investigating whether this matter might be an act of domestic terrorism, no motive has been determined at this time," the FBI Milwaukee Special Agent-in-Charge Teresa Carlson said in a late night statement, hours after the local police termed the tragic incident as an act of domestic terrorism.

The FBI is working closely with the Oak Creek Police Department and other local and federal agencies to investigate Sunday's shooting incident, Carlson said.

The country's premier investigative agency has launched an in-depth investigation into the shooting incident in which at least seven people including the alleged shooter was killed, that sent shocked waves throughout the country.

"We know our community has been deeply impacted by this incident, and our thoughts are with those affected and particularly with the officer who was wounded in the line of duty to protect others," the FBI said.

While the name of the alleged gunman has not been released yet, Thomas Ahern, a spokesman with the ATF's Chicago division, described him as a white male roughly 40 years of age, CNN has reported.

The motive of the shooting has not been determined yet, even as security authorities late yesterday surrounded a duplex in Cudahy neighbourhood, where the shooter apparently lived.

Federal law enforcement officials told NBC News the suspected gunman had no obvious connection to domestic terror or white supremacist groups and apparently was not on any list of suspected terrorists. The suspect was in his early 40s, and while he had an arrest record, it was for minor traffic offenses, a federal official said, NBC reported.

A law enforcement official told NBC News the gunman was dressed in a white T-shirt and black tactical-style pants, which had several pockets for holding ammunition magazines. He was armed with a single handgun, the official said.

Though the name of the gunman was not released but police say they have a tentative ID and were searching his home. The location was not disclosed, the news channel said.

Officials told the news channel that the alleged shooter, who served in the US Army, had many tattoos.