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Gunman Kills 8 in Shooting at FedEx Warehouse

By Megan Gates
16 April 2021

Today in Security

A gunman opened fire at a FedEx warehouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Thursday night, killing eight people and injuring five others. Authorities said they believe the suspect shot himself and died at the scene.

The victims' names have not been released to the public, and investigators are working to identify the gunman’s motive for targeting the FedEx Ground Plainfield Center warehouse, which is located approximately five miles from the Indianapolis International Airport.

Indianapolis Police Deputy Chief Craig McCartt said the gunman opened fire in the parking lot of the warehouse before moving into the building and continuing to shoot.

“There was no confrontation with anyone that was there, there was no disturbance, there was no argument, he just appeared to randomly start shooting,” McCart told the Associated Press. 

The FBI is assisting Indianapolis police in the investigation, including with a search of the suspected gunman’s home early Friday morning, according to The Indy Star. 

“Many of you have already asked what the motive of this shooting was, and with less than 12 hours since the shooting, it would be premature to speculate on the suspect’s motivations,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan. “I can tell you that there is no further threat, and updates will continue to be shared as there are more details.”

In a letter to FedEx employees, Chairman and CEO Frederick W. Smith called the shooting a “senseless act of violence” and that the company will continue to support employees at the Indianapolis site. 

“First and foremost, I want to express my deepest sympathies to the families, friends, and co-workers of those team members,” Smith wrote. “Our priority right now is in responding to the situation on the ground and helping our team members and law enforcement. We have a team onsite in Indianapolis to provide support, and we are making counselors available.”

The Indianapolis shooting is the latest mass shooting in the United States in recent years—and the third high-profile mass shooting in 2021 following shootings at a Boulder, Colorado, grocery store that killed 10 people and at spas in the Atlanta, Georgia, area that killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent.

“Each new attack is a reminder of all the others that came before it, as the nation has been unable to curb an epidemic of gun violence that far outpaces other countries,” according to The New York Times. “These are just some of the horrors that have traumatized the nation.”

The U.S. Congress has been unable to pass gun control legislation, but U.S. President Joe Biden recently issued an executive order to address “ghost guns,” kits for sale that allow individuals to assemble their own firearms instead of purchasing a finished product from a gun manufacturer, and guidance for “red flag” legislation for U.S. states.

“Red flag laws allow family members or law enforcement to petition for a court order temporarily barring people in crisis from accessing firearms if they present a danger to themselves or others,” a White House fact sheet said. “The president urges Congress to pass an appropriate national ‘red flag’ law, as well as legislation incentivizing states to pass ‘red flag’ laws of their own.”

Local officials in Indianapolis are also considering taking action to address gun violence. Indianapolis District 5 City-County Councillor Ali Brown has asked Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb to take up gun control legislation in the current legislative session.

“The conversation will be tough, but we must get a firm grip of the situation and the collective epidemic—and if that means passing background check legislation, banning automatic rifles, and advocating for other common-sense gun control measures, let’s get that done immediately,” Brown said.

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