UPDATE: Police have confirmed the names of the 8 people who died in the mass shooting at the FedEx facility Thursday night and half of them are from the Sikh Commmunity. They are:
Amarjeet Kaur Johal, 66
Karli Smith, 19
Matthew R Alexander, 32
Samaria Blackwell, 19
Jaswinder Kaur, 64
Jaswinder Singh, 68
Amarjit Sekhon, 48
John Weisert, 74
Police did not release the names of those who were injured and taken to hospital. The Sikh Coalition and the Sikh Community reeling from the loss of their loved ones and sharing their grief condemning this senseless act of violence over social media posts.
Our latest statement regarding the mass shooting at the Indianapolis FedEx facility, which includes remarks from one victim's family member, a community leader, and our Executive Director Satjeet Kaur: https://t.co/ZNYpeHP6Dx
— Sikh Coalition (@sikh_coalition) April 17, 2021
Our hearts and prayers are with the families of the victims of the Indianapolis FedEx shooting announced so far:
— Sikh Coalition (@sikh_coalition) April 17, 2021
Matthew R. Alexander
Samaria Blackwell
Amarjeet Kaur Johal
Jaswinder Kaur
Jaswinder Singh
Amarjit Sekhon
Karli Smith
John Weisert
(list via @WISH_TV)
Further update: We are sad to confirm that at least four of those killed in Thursday night's attacks are members of the Indianapolis Sikh community. https://t.co/Uso0qL8uh8
— Sikh Coalition (@sikh_coalition) April 16, 2021
My deepest condolences to the families of all those impacted by the shocking mass shooting in Indianapolis, America. At least 4 of the victims have been identified as Sikh. Guru Sahib apne Kirpa Karan 🙏🏽 #indianapolisfedex #Sikh pic.twitter.com/4NWiEkrzJq
— Jas Singh (@UK51NGH) April 16, 2021
she just celebrated her 66th birthday like yday. and today was her granddaughter’s bday 😔 life is so short man. hold ur family close bc the world is twisted. cherish each and every moment and dont hold any hate in ur heart. fill ur life with happiness and irreplaceable memories.
— Komal (@yourlawyerkomal) April 17, 2021
FedEx needs to be held accountable for this. The “no phone” policy is very outrageous as the employees could have used their phones to call 911. Also the authorities had been warned about the violent nature of the murdered Brandon Scott. We need to hold them all accountable.
— Arunpreet (@GoingfoArun) April 16, 2021
If the police would over police White Supremacist the way they do black communities America might have a handle on the most dangerous threat to American lives. A white. Unhinged. Man. #Indianapolis https://t.co/ejMdKoliwZ
— Reena Sekhon (@AtHomeWithReena) April 17, 2021
was already putting a chair out for my boyfriend’s late Father and now for Naniji. this shit doesnt feel real. life is so unfair. we moved my roka bc my Bibijis health and Amar’s Mamis heath & now this. U never think itll hit so close to home until it slaps u in the face.
— Komal (@yourlawyerkomal) April 17, 2021
Spent today supporting Sikh victims of a mass shooting in Indianapolis. Absolutely heart-breaking.
— Simran Jeet Singh (@simran) April 16, 2021
Gave my girls in extra squeeze tonight as I put them to bed. Make sure to do the same for your loved ones.
I learned that my mom’s friend was shot in the parking lot, & another family friend was killed. Many of these families moved to Indiana & found jobs at warehouses like FedEx to provide for their families, but never would have thought they’d be going into work and
— Happi Gill (@HappiGill) April 16, 2021
EARLIER STORY:
Tragedy struck at a FedEx facility in Indianopolis Thursday night after 8 people were killed by a gunman who opened fire late Thursday.
No police officers were hurt in the shooting but the shooter was a former employee of FedEx who also killed himself.
The shooter has been identified as 19-year-old Brandon Scott Hole of Indiana. Investigators searched the shooter's home and seized desktop computers and other electronic media.
According to Indiana police the motive of the gunman on opening fire Thursday night at a FedEx processing centre near the Indianapolis airport is not known. The shooter started randomly firing at people in the parking lot and then went into the building and continued shooting.
Most employees aren't allowed to have cellphones inside the FedEx building, making contact with them difficult and to know what happened to loved ones made the wait for the families even worse.
FedEx said in a statement that cellphone access is limited to a small number of workers in the dock and package sorting areas to “support safety protocols and minimize potential distractions.”
4 people were killed outside the building and another 4 inside. Several people were also injured including 5 who were taken to hospital.
The victims names and identities have not been released.
— FedEx (@FedEx) April 16, 2021"We have a team onsite in Indianapolis to provide support, and we are making counselors available. This is a devastating day, and words are hard to describe the emotions we all feel." Read Frederick W. Smith's letter to team members: https://t.co/hs53dTkax8
— FedEx (@FedEx) April 16, 2021
The majority of employees at the FedEx facility are members of the Sikh community. The Sikh Coalition issued a statement on Twitter saying it was “deeply saddened to learn” that Sikh community members were among the wounded and killed.
Our statement on emerging news regarding the shooting at the Indianapolis FedEx facility: pic.twitter.com/655bjn4wlc
— Sikh Coalition (@sikh_coalition) April 16, 2021
US President Joe Biden and Vice President of the US Kamala Harris both expressed their sorrow over the sensless violence in Indianapolis via a Twitter post.
Vice President Harris and I have been briefed on the mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis. God bless the eight individuals we lost and their loved ones, and we pray for the wounded for their recovery.
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 16, 2021
We can, and must, do more to reduce gun violence and save lives.
Our nation grieves with the families who lost loved ones in Indianapolis and we pray that those who were wounded recover quickly. As I said last week, we’ve had more tragedy than we can bear and solutions to prevent gun violence exist. @POTUS and I urge Congress to act.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) April 16, 2021
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shared her anger and grief over Twitter.
Horrified & heartbroken by this news. As we pray for the families of all affected, we must work urgently to enact commonsense gun violence prevention laws to save lives & prevent this suffering. https://t.co/BSUmZNYOrD
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 16, 2021
The killings marked the latest in a recent spate of mass shootings across the nation and the third mass shooting this year in Indianapolis.