Washington:
An ex-Army man who was reduced in rank before his discharge, Wade Michael Page, carried out the shootings at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin that claimed six lives, a federal official said on Monday.
The shooter also died in the incident.
The US official declined to be named publicly, noting that he was not authorized to speak while the investigation is still ongoing. Page was described as being 40 years old.
A defense official said the suspect was discharged from the Army in 1998.
This official, too, spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release information yet about the suspect.
But the official told The Associated Press on Monday that Page entered the Army in 1992 and was discharged in 1998. He said the man was busted in rank from sergeant to specialist, but he gave no reason.