Sikh community responds to mass shooting at Indianapolis FedEx Ground facility
Reports within the Sikh Community that some of the victims in the mass shooting at the Indianapolis FedEx ground facility were members of the religious group drew an immediate response Friday.
A spokesman for the Sikh Coalition was careful to point out that authorities were still trying to determine whether suspected gunman Brandon Scott Hole was targeting workers because of their religious belief.
"We are deeply saddened to learn that Sikh community members are among those injured and killed by the gunman in Indianapolis last night," coalition Executive Director Satjeet Kaur said in a statement released Friday afternoon.
"Our hearts and prayers are with their families, and we are in touch with community leaders, government and law enforcement officials to learn more. 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.”
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Shortly after 6 p.m. the Sikh Coalition released another statement, after leaders said they had confirmed members of the community were confirmed among those killed.
"Our hearts and prayers are with their families, and we are in touch with sangat leaders, government and law enforcement officials to learn more. We will continue to provide updates here," the statement read in part.
The statement went on to say that members of the coalition were not speculating on the motive for the attack.
Graham West, media and communications director for the Sikh Coalition noted that an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 Sikh Americans live in Indiana.
FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan said on Friday that agents found Hole had 'no racially motivated violent extremism ideology' when they interviewed him in 2020.
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“In March 2020, the suspect’s mother contacted law enforcement to report he might try to commit “suicide by cop”. The suspect was placed on an immediate detention mental health temporary hold by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department," Keenan said.
"A shotgun was seized at his residence. Based on items observed in the suspect’s bedroom at that time, he was interviewed by the FBI in April 2020. No Racially Motivated Violent Extremism (RMVE) ideology was identified during the course of the assessment and no criminal violation was found. The shotgun was not returned to the suspect.”
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What is Sikhism?
Here are some facts about the Sikh community, according to previous reporting by IndyStar.
They are not Muslim. Sikhs wear turbans and are sometimes misidentified as Muslims. Sikh activists say that violence against the community spiked after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
They are monotheistic. Sikhs believe in one god and believe in equality among sexes. Sikhism, which originated in northwest India, rejects the caste system and emphasizes service to humanity. The Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, was written in the 1600s and contains writings by the religion’s 10 gurus, or teachers, who lived from 1469 to 1708.
Why do they wear turbans? The turban was once only worn by nobility in India. The Sikh religion teaches that all are noble, so all practitioners wear turbans, according to Sikhnet.com.
Sikh temples are open places. The Sikh temple, or gurdwara, is open to visitors and often serves vegetarian meals to visitors and worshipers.