FedEx facility shooting kills 8 in Indianapolis

By Zamira Rahim, Jessie Yeung, Steve George, Aditi Sangal, Nick Thompson, Meg Wagner and Melissa Mahtani, CNN

Updated 9:57 p.m. ET, April 16, 2021
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9:55 p.m. ET, April 16, 2021

8 people were killed Thursday in Indianapolis. Here's the latest on the investigation.

 Jon Cherry/Getty Images
 Jon Cherry/Getty Images

The investigation continues into a mass shooting in Indianapolis late Thursday that claimed the lives of eight people.

Here's what we know:

  • The shooting: Authorities responded to a call of shots fired at the FedEx Ground-Plainfield Operation Center in Indianapolis at about 11 p.m. local time Thursday. When they arrived "they found a very chaotic and active crime scene," said Craig McCartt, the deputy chief of criminal investigations for Indianapolis Police. "They found several victims injured and several victims deceased as well as the suspect, who was deceased, as well, of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound," he said. McCartt said detectives then arrived and started interviewing witnesses. The department's crime lab also responded and started processing the crime scene.
  • The victims: Police released the names of the victims Friday night. They are 32-year-old Matthew R Alexander, 19-year-old Samaria Blackwell, 66-year-old Amarjeet Johal, 64-year-old Jaswinder Kaur, 68-year-old Jaswinder Singh, 48-year-old Amarjit Sekhon, 19-year-old Karlie Smith and 74-year-old John Weisert. A statement by IMPD says the next of kin has been notified by the Marion County Coroner's Office. The cause of death will be determined after autopsies are complete, according to the statement. 
  • The suspect: The gunman has been identified as 19-year-old Brandon Hole, McCartt said. "FedEx officials have confirmed that Mr. Hole was a former employee at the facility, and he was last employed in 2020," he said. The FBI Indianapolis office said in a statement that his mother told law enforcement in March 2020 that he might try to "commit suicide by cop." FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan said in a statement sent to CNN that Hole was placed on an immediate detention mental health temporary hold by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. He also said a shotgun was seized at Hole's residence.
  • Biden speaks out: The President ordered flags at half-staff at the White House following the shooting. "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," Biden said in a statement. "Gun violence is an epidemic in America. But we should not accept it. We must act."
  • An American epidemic: There have been at least 147 mass shooting incidents in 2021 in the US, according to data from The Gun Violence Archive. The Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a non-profit based out of Washington DC, is an independent research group not affiliated with any advocacy organization, according to its website. Since March 16, there have been at least 45 mass shootings across the nation, CNN has reported.

9:10 p.m. ET, April 16, 2021

Names of victims in Thursday's shooting released

From CNN's Kay Jones

Indianapolis Police has released the names of the deceased victims from Thursday night's shooting. 

The victims are: 

  • 32-year-old Matthew R Alexander 
  • 19-year-old Samaria Blackwell
  • 66-year-old Amarjeet Johal
  • 64-year-old Jaswinder Kaur
  • 68-year-old Jaswinder Singh
  • 48-year-old Amarjit Sekhon
  • 19-year-old Karlie Smith
  • 74-year-old John Weisert

A statement by IMPD says the next of kin has been notified by the Marion County Coroner's Office.

The cause of death will be determined after autopsies are complete, according to the statement. 

IMPD said the names of those injured are not being released. 

5:49 p.m. ET, April 16, 2021

Biden urges Congress to act on gun reform, calling recent violence a "national embarrassment" 

From CNN's Josiah Ryan

Andrew Harnik/AP
Andrew Harnik/AP

President Biden urged Congress today to take swift action on gun reform, calling the ​recent episodes of gun violence that have roiled the nation a "national embarrassment."

"It is a national embarrassment what's going on," said the President, speaking at a joint news conference with Japan's prime minister.

"Every single day, there's a mass shooting in the United States if you count all those who are killed out in the streets of our cities and rural areas," he continued. "It's a national embarrassment and must come to an end."

Responding to a reporter's question, Biden defended his administration's agenda, saying he was able to pursue gun reform even while pushing for a major infrastructure spending focused on repairing the economy. 

"I've never stopped supporting the ban on assault weapons and magazines that hold more than 10 bullets," he said. "It doesn't mean I can't also be working at the same time on the economy and on Covid."

Biden then urged the US Senate, which is narrowly controlled by Democrats, to take up House-passed legislation that would require background checks on all gun sales and transfers, among other initiatives.  

"It's not a question of my being able to set the agenda in the Senate as to what they will move to first, and so I continue and I strongly, strongly urge my Republican friends in the Congress, who even refuse to bring up the House-passed bill to bring it up now," he said. 

7:32 p.m. ET, April 16, 2021

Mother of suspect in FedEx shooting said in 2020 he might try to "commit suicide by cop" 

From CNN's Kay Jones and Shimon Prokupecz

A photo of Brandon Hole released by the Indianapolis Police.
A photo of Brandon Hole released by the Indianapolis Police. IMPD

The mother of the gunman in the shooting at a FedEx facility told law enforcement in March 2020 that he might try to "commit suicide by cop," the FBI Indianapolis office said in a statement. 

FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan said in a statement sent to CNN that the gunman, Brandon Hole, was placed on an immediate detention mental health temporary hold by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. He also said a shotgun was seized at Hole's 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," Keenan said in the statement. "The shotgun was not returned to the suspect.”

4:56 p.m. ET, April 16, 2021

Vice President Harris on Indianapolis shooting: "We've had more tragedy than we can bear"

From CNN's Jason Hoffman

Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted on the shooting in Indianapolis, saying “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,” Harris continued.

Read her tweet:

4:18 p.m. ET, April 16, 2021

Police still working to identify victims

Authorities are still working to identify the victims in Thursday's shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, said Craig McCartt, the deputy chief of criminal investigations for Indianapolis Police.

"We're to the point now where we're identifying victims, making notifications to the family and then hopefully we will wrap up the processing of this crime scene here very shortly and be done at least with this portion of the investigation," he said. 

What we know: Eight people were killed after a gunman opened fire outside and inside the facility.

The shooting is the country's deadliest since 10 people were killed on March 22 at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado.

Officials haven't released the names of victims.

4:15 p.m. ET, April 16, 2021

There were at least 100 people in the FedEx facility during the shooting, police say

During the time of the mass shooting late Thursday in Indianapolis, there were at least 100 people inside the FedEx facility, Craig McCartt, the deputy chief of criminal investigations for Indianapolis Police, said during a news conference Friday afternoon.

"There were at least 100 people in the facility at the time of the incident. Many were changing shifts and were on their dinner break," McCartt said.
4:19 p.m. ET, April 16, 2021

Authorities identify Indianapolis shooter

The gunman in the shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, has been identified as 19-year-old Brandon Hole, according to Craig McCartt, the deputy chief of criminal investigations for Indianapolis Police.

"FedEx officials have confirmed that Mr. Hole was a former employee at the facility, and he was last employed in 2020," McCartt said.

"We've recently identified him so now the work really begins trying to establish some of that and see if we can figure out some sort of motive in this, but we don't have that right now," he said.

3:54 p.m. ET, April 16, 2021

Indianapolis shooter was former FedEx employee

From CNN's Curt Devine

A police officer walks on the sidewalk near the crime scene in the parking lot of a FedEx Ground facility on April 16, in Indianapolis, Indiana. 
A police officer walks on the sidewalk near the crime scene in the parking lot of a FedEx Ground facility on April 16, in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Jon Cherry/Getty Images

FedEx declined to name the suspect, but spokesperson Jim Masilak told CNN, “We can confirm that the perpetrator was a former employee at the facility."

"Further questions about the perpetrator should be direct to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department," he added.

According to authorities, the gunman opened fire outside and inside a FedEx facility near Indianapolis' main airport late Thursday, killing eight people, wounding several others and sending witnesses running before taking his own life.