Police on Friday identified the suspected shooter in the attack on a FedEx facility in Indianapolis the night before, which killed eight people as 19-year-old Brandon Scott Hole.
Law enforcement officers briefed on the matter confirmed the shooter’s identity to The Associated Press and other media outlets. The Hill has contacted the Indianapolis Police Department.
A FedEx spokesperson confirmed to the AP and The New York Times that Hole was a former employee of the company, adding that it was working closely with investigators.
Indianapolis police chief Randal Taylor told reporters that officials interviewed witnesses and collected evidence to establish a motive behind the mass shooting, the latest to rock the nation.
Taylor said a “significant” number of employees at the FedEx site were members of the Sikh community, according to the AP.
Deputy Police Chief Craig McCartt said Friday the shooter used a rifle to randomly open fire on people in the parking lot and inside the building.
“There was no confrontation with anyone out there,” explained McCartt. “There was no inconvenience, there was no discussion. He just seemed to start shooting randomly. “
Police said the shooting only lasted a few minutes and the shooter committed suicide before police entered the facility.
Four people outside the building were killed in the shooting and another four died inside.
McCartt said several people were also injured in the attack, which left five people hospitalized.
The AP reported that the Indianapolis coroner’s office has not yet been able to get to the scene to identify the victims, as police were still collecting evidence.
Thursday’s attack follows a string of recent mass shootings in the US and is at least the third mass shooting this year in Indianapolis alone.
The AP noted that in January, five people, including a pregnant woman, were shot and killed, and in March, a man reportedly killed three adults and a child before kidnapping his daughter after an argument in a home.
President Biden on Friday condemned the latest attack, writing in a White House statement that “gun violence is an epidemic in America.”
“Too many Americans die every day from gun violence,” the president continued. “It stains our character and penetrates into the soul of our nation.”
“We can and should do more to act and save lives,” he added.
In his statement, the president reiterated the call to Congress to pass gun control prevention legislation, including measures for universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons.
Updated: 4:13 PM