Was Indianapolis FedEx shooting a hate crime against Sikhs? Here are 8 victims killed by Brandon Scott Hole

RELATED ARTICLES

FedEx shooting: Who was Indianapolis shooter? Gunman and 8 victims die in mass casualty near airport

Who is Liliana Carrillo? LA mom, 30, who fatally stabbed her 3 children aged 6 months to 3 years arrested

Since the news of four members of the Sikh religious community getting killed in the mass shooting has surfaced online, many believed that it might be another incident of hate crime.

Social media users were quick to point out that the shooter knew about the people working at the FedEx facility and allegedly targeted them because of the religion they belonged to. One user said, “This was a targeted hate crime. The majority of the employees at that facility were Sikh. This guy, an ex-employee, knew that. The fact that they won’t release his picture should tell you all that you need to know.”

Another user noted, “The 8 lives lost were taken by a 19-year-old, Caucasian, former-employee. He was aware of the Sikh demographic at this FedEx location. This was a hate crime towards the Sikh community.” Meanwhile, another one shared, “That FedEx facility in Indianapolis is a workplace with over 90% Sikh employees. Don’t you dare say the mass shooting was attributed to a “mental illness”. It was hatred. It was racism. And it was targeted.”

“We can’t go to the gurdwara without fearing for our lives. We can’t go to work without fearing for our lives. That FedEx facility employed many members of the Punjabi Sikh community. You can’t tell me this attack wasn’t racially motivated,” one user said. Another user noticed, “Highlighting the fact that BRANDON SCOTT HOLE, 19, was a former employee - he would know exactly who works there - Sikhs - and when he could do the most damage. Don't tell me it wasn't anti-Sikh.”

On the other hand, popular poet and illustrator Rupi Kaur also expressed her disappointment in the incident and said the news of another “mass shooting” is completely horrifying and truly breaks her heart. She wrote, “There are no words. the news out of Indianapolis—of yet another mass shooting—is horrific. So many of these targeted workers were Punjabi Sikh immigrants who’d recently moved to the area breaks my heart. Love to all the families. Love to the community.”

What happened in Indianapolis?

The incident took place at a FedEx Operations Center near Indianapolis International Airport after 11 pm, police said. It lasted only a couple of minutes and was over by the time police responded to the scene. The gunman killed himself after taking eight innocent lives. It is also being reported that the former FedEx employee has a history of mental illness.