U.S. authorities reported that the attacker who killed eight people, including four from the Sikh community, at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis was a former employee at the package sorting center. The attacker opened fire randomly late Thursday into Friday night. The Sikh Coalition noted that four of the victims were from this community, which has a significant presence in Indiana.
**Incident Details**
Around 11:00 PM local time, the armed man got out of his car with an assault rifle and began shooting randomly, first in the parking lot and then inside the warehouse before taking his own life, said Indianapolis Police Chief Craig McCart. Police found the bodies of eight victims with ages ranging from 19 to 74 years old. The shooter was identified as Brandon Scott Hole, 19, who had worked at the FedEx sorting facility in 2020, according to authorities on Friday.
**Motive**
McCart confirmed that investigators have not yet uncovered the shooter's motives but mentioned that he was known to the police. Additionally, at least 100 people were present in the warehouse at the time of the attack.
**Full Investigation Requested**
The Sikh Coalition called on police to conduct a full investigation to determine the shooter's motives, including whether there were any racial biases involved. Komal Chauhan, a granddaughter of one of the victims, stated, "Enough, our community has suffered enough trauma." Approximately 10,000 Sikhs live in the state, and many work at FedEx. The attack at the warehouse near the city's international airport took only a few minutes.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett expressed sorrow this morning, noting the grief for the families of the victims, for employees who lost their colleagues, and for many Americans trying to understand how tragedies like this continue to occur. This shooting comes in the wake of a series of similar tragic incidents in recent weeks in cities like Atlanta, Boulder, and Los Angeles.
**Gun Violence Issue**
This recurring issue in the United States continues to spark debate over the prevalence of firearms in the country, with little tangible progress. In early April, President Biden described gun violence as an epidemic and a stain on the country while announcing measures aimed at regulating firearm possession. However, these actions are limited due to difficulties in passing legislation through a narrowly divided Congress.
Many Americans remain strongly attached to their firearms, with increased purchases seen since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and even more during significant anti-racism protests in the spring of 2020 and tensions surrounding the elections in the fall. Since January 1, over 12,000 individuals have been killed by gun violence, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
