Sikh temple gunman's ex wishes to lay low
Updated 3:09 p.m. ET
(CBS/AP) - A woman claiming to be the ex-girlfriend of Sikh temple gunman Michael Wade Page wants to stay out of the media spotlight in the wake of Page's deadly weekend rampage, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The newspaper reported Wednesday that an e-mail sent by Misty Cook, who was held Wednesday morning on an unrelated weapons charge, said she hoped "heroes" of the tragedy that left six worshippers at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin dead would get the most attention.
"For my part, I hope the majority of focus will be on celebrating the lives of the heroes in this situation. 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, a 31-year-old nursing student, reportedly wrote.
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South Milwaukee Police said Tuesday that Cook had been arrested in suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm. FBI special agent Teresa Carlson said she was arrested after police officers saw she had a weapon in her home during an interview for the Page investigation, but the charges are completely separate from the Sikh temple slayings.
Cook also goes by the first name Brenda, an FBI spokesman said. Online court records show Brenda Cook pleaded no contest in 2005 to a felony charge of fleeing an officer.
Page, who investigators say died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on scene of Sunday's shooting, was a 40-year-old discharged Army veteran who played in a white power band and had ties to white supremacist groups.
He was demoted during a stint in the Army for getting drunk on duty and going AWOL before he was discharged in 1998. Page later moved to Wisconsin to live in South Milwaukee with Cook.
The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks hate groups, said Cook shared her recent boyfriend's interest in white power. Cook had some involvement with white supremacist groups Volksfront and Hammerskins the past decade and actively wrote on a skinhead online forum, according to the ADL. In April, she wrote of support for Richard Butler, the deceased founder of notorious neo-Nazi group Aryan Nations.
Neighbors said the couple broke up in the spring and Page moved out into another duplex in mid-July.
In another e-mail to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Cook said she felt terrible about what happened.
"If I could say something to ease the pain of the victims and their families, I would gladly do so. Unfortunately, words do not begin to heal the pain they are going through," she reportedly wrote, adding she had no additional comments on the investigation.
Kaleka, the president of the temple, died while confronting Page with a knife. Oak Creek Police Lt. Brian Murphy is in critical condition after being shot nine times, waving off aid so his colleagues could attend to wounded worshippers instead.
Cook also praised the Sikh community in the e-mail to the Los Angeles Times.
"The reaction of the Sikh community around the world has been admirable. 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."