Mourners have started paying their final respects to six worshippers gunned down by a white supremacist at a Sikh temple in the US almost a week ago.

Thousands of mourners are expected to gather today to pay their final respects to the six worshippers gunned down by a white supremacist at their Sikh temple over the weekend in the central US state of Wisconsin.

The gunman who killed six people at a Sikh temple in the US died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head after he was shot by police, the FBI announced today.

Terrified worshippers hid in cupboards and others desperately texted friends outside for help as a man gunned down killed six people in a deadly rampage at a Sikh temple.

At least six people died yesterday when a gunman opened fire at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee.