More details are being released about a mass shooting at a FedEx warehouse in Indianapolis where eight people lost their lives on Friday, including members of the Sikh community.
The details: Eight people were fatally shot, four inside and four outside the warehouse, while five others were injured and rushed to the hospital, according to the Associated Press.
- The shooter, identified by authorities as Brandon Scott Hole, 19, also died by suicide.
- Police searched the home of the former FedEx employee and seized evidence, but a motive has yet to be uncovered.
- “There was no disturbance, there was no argument. He just appeared to randomly start shooting,” Deputy Police Chief Craig McCartt said.
- Police Chief Randal Taylor pointed out that a “significant” number of employees at the facility are members of the Sikh community, but it’s unclear if that played a role in the shooting.
- “We are deeply saddened to learn that Sikh community members are among those injured and killed by the gunman in Indianapolis last night,” Sikh Coalition Executive Director Satjeet Kaur said in a statement.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter
A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.
Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.
Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.
Witnesses: A witness told WTHR that he heard the first shots while working inside the FedEx facility and he went into survival mode.
- “I see a man come out with a rifle in his hand and he starts firing and he starts yelling stuff that I could not understand,” Levi Miller said. “What I ended up doing was ducking down to make sure he did not see me because I thought he would see me and he would shoot me.”
FedEx and White House: A FedEx spokesperson told Business Insider the company is now reconsidering its no-phone policy during work hours, which has frustrated families waiting for information at a nearby unification center.
- “It is hard because if my friend had a phone, he would be able to contact me right away,” said Jose Lopez, who has worked at the facility for about six months, according to USA Today. “Even if it’s a message with one letter, you know he is living.”
- President Joe Biden addressed the shooting on Friday and called gun violence “an epidemic,” urging Congress to pass “commonsense gun violence prevention legislation.”
- McCartt added authorities are still identifying the victims.
Feature Image via Getty
