‘Questions will always remain’: Sikhs respond to FedEx shooting investigation findings

Indianapolis police and FBI officials ruled out racial bias as a motive and said the mass shooting was “an act of suicidal murder."

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By Natalia E. Contreras | Indianapolis Star |

Some Sikh Hoosiers say uncertainty is lingering as many questions remain unanswered after law enforcement concluded their investigation of the FedEx mass shooting that claimed the lives of eight people in April, including four Sikhs.

On Wednesday, Indianapolis police and FBI officials ruled out racial bias as a motive and said the mass shooting was “an act of suicidal murder.”

In the evidence, FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan said “there was some viewing of mainly WWII, Nazi propaganda,” but that it was an extremely small percentage of the 19-year-old gunman’s overall media consumption.

“There was no evidence of animosity against the Sikh community,” Keenan said.

A majority of the workers at the FedEx Ground Facility were immigrants and members of the Sikh community. Many felt they were targeted when the shooting happened.

Amrith Kaur, Sikh Coalition legal director, said more facts need to be released explaining exactly what led investigators to rule out racial bias.

Kaur said ruling out bias without more details dismisses and fails to acknowledge the experiences of the Sikh community and of all marginalized groups that have been victimized by hate violence.

“How do you completely rule out what all of these other things could include? Because the one person that can confirm that for you, or deny it, is dead,” Kaur told IndyStar. “They say the investigation is over but for all of the families who lost loved ones and the survivors, the Sikh community, and everybody that has been impacted by violence like that, those questions are always going to remain.”

The Sikh Coalition, which includes attorneys, has been acting as legal representation and advocating for two survivors of the shooting and the family of one of the victims who was killed.

The victims who died were identified as Amarjeet Kaur Johal, 66; Karli Smith, 19; Matthew R Alexander, 32; Samaria Blackwell, 19; Jasvinder Kaur, 50; Jaswinder Singh, 68; Amarjit Sekhon, 48 and John Weisert, 74.

Read the full story, ”Questions will always remain’: Sikhs respond to FedEx shooting investigation findings’ (Indianapolis Star, 28 July 2021), here.

RELATED STORY:

Four Sikhs, including a grandmother, among 8 killed in Indianapolis FedEx mass shooting (Asia Samachar, 17 April 2021)

ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |

1 COMMENT

  1. In the US if you are allowed to legally conceal carry a weapon you should at all times if situations such as these arises as the only language these racists understand is the language of force. Hope the families of the deceased find closure.

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