FedEx shooting: Gunman parked car and began 'randomly' firing, police say
For years, Indianapolis has been spared mass shootings in schools, workplaces and other public places that have rocked communities across America.
That changed late Thursday night when a 19-year-old former employee with a history of mental health problems opened fire at a FedEx facility near the Indianapolis International Airport.
The shooting left eight people dead and injured several others before the gunman killed himself. It was the worst mass shooting in the city's modern history.
VICTIMS IDENTIFIED:Indianapolis police identify the 8 FedEx shooting victims, still investigating motive
At least some of the victims were members of the city's Sikh community, according to the Sikh Coalition, a New York City-based advocacy group. Indianapolis police were still investigating a possible motive and working to notify family members and had not named any of the victims as of late afternoon Friday.
Police identified the shooter as Brandon Scott Hole, an Indianapolis man who last worked for FedEx in 2020.
Hole was known to law enforcement. His mother told authorities in March 2020 that he might try to commit "suicide by cop." A police report says he had purchased a gun within the past 24 hours. Police seized a shotgun and he was immediately detained and transported to a hospital.
Based on items observed in Hole's bedroom, the FBI interviewed him in April 2020, according to a statement to IndyStar from Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan. An FBI spokesperson declined to provide any details about the items.
"No Racially Motivated Violent Extremism (RMVE) ideology was identified during the course of the assessment and no criminal violation was found," Keenan said. "The shotgun was not returned to the suspect."
On Friday, police and FBI agents were back at the home on the 1100 block of North Huber Street on the city's far east side, executing one of several search warrants related to their investigation.
The shooting left the city deeply shaken, not only because of the large death toll, but also because it was the third mass shooting since the beginning of the year. The killings come after several years, including 2020, in which the city's homicide record has been broken.
Related:With FexEx shootings, America suffers 6th consecutive week with a mass killing
A 'chaotic' scene at FedEx
At least 100 people were working at the FedEx Ground Plainfield Operations Center at about 11 p.m. Thursday night, many of them changing shifts or taking their dinner break, police said.
That's when the gunman parked his vehicle, got out and quickly began randomly shooting, said IMPD Deputy Chief Craig McCartt. Armed with a rifle, he then moved inside the facility, came back out, and then went inside again, killing himself before officers could reach him. The incident lasted a matter of minutes, McCartt said.
Responding officers encountered a "chaotic and active" crime scene when they arrived at the facility at 8951 Mirabel Road, he said.
Calls from the logistics center shortly after 11 p.m. sent police scrambling to save lives as they descended on the scene.
'Act of violence' took mere minutes:How the FedEx mass shooting unfolded in Indianapolis
"I have a female who's in the control room who advised that the subject is still shooting," an officer announced over police radio about 11:08 p.m. as archived by Broadcastify. "She does not have a visual but can hear the shots."
"Additional caller saying there's a possible person shot laying near security in the front entrance of the building," another officer added. "EMS is staging."
The calls continued to arrive. One caller spoke with dispatchers from his car in the parking lot, saying he'd been hit. Another victim reported that they were hiding in a bathroom.
"We have many units en route," an officer reported about 11:13 p.m.
"Control, we got another one down behind the building," an officer observed as he pulled up to the scene. Three victims were reported to have been found in two different cars in the parking lot.
Multiple medics began to stage about 11:20 p.m.
"Advise Eskenazi we'll have multiple patients. Advise them to be ready," an officer reported, naming the local medical facility. "Advise St. Vincent."
Ultimately, police said they found four victims outside the facility and four inside.
Four others who suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds were transported to the hospital. Two others were treated for minor injuries at the scene. A fifth person injured by gunfire transported themselves to another hospital, McCartt said.
“This suspect came to the facility and when he came there, he got out of his car and pretty quickly started some random shooting outside the facility," McCartt said. "There was no confrontation with anyone that was there. There was no disturbance. There was no argument. He just appeared to randomly start shooting."
Families wait at hotel
As the night unfolded, distraught family members and friends of employees were directed to the nearby Holiday Inn Express to await word on whether their loved ones were safe.
FedEx prohibits employees from having their phones with them while they are working, a policy that came under scrutiny in the aftermath of the shooting.
Relatives of workers sat packed in the Holiday Inn Express lobby, tired, tears in their eyes. Many were still waiting hours after the incident. Some had pajamas on. One man had a sleeping child covered in a blanket on his shoulder.
As late as 2 p.m. on Friday — about 15 hours after the shooting — some were still waiting to hear about the status of their loved ones.
Mike Weisert still stood in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn on Friday afternoon waiting for word of his father, 74-year-old John Steve Weisert.
He and his mother had been waiting since the early morning hours of Friday, after they drove to the FedEx location to check on their father, who had not yet come home from his shift that ends around 11 p.m. the night before.
“We’re just desperately waiting for some kind of answer or absolution of the situation,” Weisert said. “What’s going to happen? Is he gone? Are we going to see him again?”
Sikhs among the victims
IMPD Chief Randal Taylor said Friday afternoon that a member of the Sikh community told him many employees at the facility are followers of the religion. The Sikh Coalition issued a statement Friday afternoon.
“We are deeply saddened to learn that Sikh community members are among those injured and killed by the gunman in Indianapolis last night," said Satjeet Kaur, the group's executive director.
Sikhism is a monotheistic faith founded in South Asia in the 15th Century. Followers typically do not cut their hair and men often wear turbans and refrain from cutting their beards. People frequently mistake them for Muslims and they have sometimes been targeted for attacks since 9/11.
"Our hearts and prayers are with their families, and we are in touch with community leaders, government and law enforcement officials to learn more," Kaur said. "While we don’t yet know the motive or identity of the shooter, we expect that authorities will continue to conduct a full investigation — including the possibility of bias as a factor.”
Mass shooting is Indy's third this year
The tragedy promoted a response from President Joe Biden, who lamented the shooting in a statement Friday afternoon. He described it as the latest in a string of tragedies across the country.
"Last night and into the morning in Indianapolis, yet again families had to wait to hear word about the fate of their loved ones. What a cruel wait and fate that has become too normal and happens every day somewhere in our nation," he said. "Gun violence is an epidemic in America. But we should not accept it. We must act."
He renewed his call for Congress to pass universal background checks for gun purchases and a ban on high capacity magazines.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said during Friday morning's news conference that White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain had reached out via text message to offer assistance. Klain is a North Central High School graduate.
Hogsett noted that he joined 150 mayors from across the country in calling on the U.S. Senate to pass legislation requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens.
He said he will also make it clear to the Republican-controlled Indiana General Assembly and Gov. Eric Holcomb where he stands on gun control, but he noted that the state legislature is already near the end of its annual session.
Republicans who have supermajorities in both chambers have been staunchly opposed to gun restrictions and have taken steps in recent years to loosen them, even as the state's capital city grapples with unprecedented gun violence.
The FedEx shooting was the city's third mass shooting since the beginning of the year. Both of the others took place in residences. One left five dead, including a pregnant woman. Another resulted in four deaths, including a 7-year-old.
Alexandria Burris and Sarah Nelson contributed to this report.
Contact IndyStar reporter Tony Cook at 317-444-6081 or tony.cook@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @IndyStarTony.
Call IndyStar reporter Amelia Pak-Harvey at 317-444-6175 or email her at apakharvey@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmeliaPakHarvey.
Contact Lawrence Andrea at 317-775-4313 or landrea@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @lawrencegandrea.