Fedex Killer of eight was on the FBI Radar
INCIDENT TYPE: UPDATE #4–Homicide x 8
One of the young victims, Samaria Blackwell had an enormous impact on the local police and community. She had wanted to be a police officer.
The Avon Police began a campaign in her honor and today followed her to her final resting place.
Our campaign to gather patches in support of Samariah Blackwell, has reached over 325,000 social media accounts! The first batch of patches have arrived in the mail and we are still accepting patches from around the world….Avon Police
INCIDENT LOCATION: 8951 Mirabel Road from Indianapolis Metro Police
INDIANAPOLIS – On Thursday, April 15, 2021, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) responded to 8951 Mirabel Road on a report of shots fired inside the FedEx Ground-Plainfield Operation Center.
Upon arrival, IMPD officers secured the scene and began providing medical care to the victims. IMPD officers located multiple victims including eight victims with injuries consistent with a gunshot wound who were pronounced deceased at the scene. The suspect, identified as Brandon Hole, was found deceased inside of the business with what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
IMPD detectives will continue to gather information based on the evidence and witness statements. Below is a summary of events based on the information known at this time:
- March 3, 2020 – IMPD officers responded to Hole’s residence at 1109 N. Huber Street (IMPD Case Number IP20-24066). Hole had made comments that he was going to point a recently purchased shotgun at police officers so they would shoot him. Due to the information collected at the scene, Hole was placed under an Immediate Detention and transported to a local hospital for evaluation. Police seized a .410-gauge shotgun (purchased March 2, 2020 by Hole) and placed it in the IMPD Property Room. IMPD’s Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) responded to the hospital due to the Immediate Detention
- Hole’s file was presented to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO) for review and was screened on March 11, 2020. On March 10, 2020, Brandon Hole told investigators that he did not want his shotgun returned. The shotgun remains in the IMPD Property Room, pending destruction.
- Just after 11:00 p.m. on April 15, 2021, IMPD received a call for service to 8951 Mirabel Road, FedEx Ground-Plainfield Operation, for shots being fired outside of the building. As they were responding, officers received information of a male walking through the parking lot shooting a rifle. A short time later, responding officers were told that a male had entered the building shooting a weapon and that multiple people had been shot.
- In total, the shooting lasted less than four minutes and was over prior to officer’s arrival.
- Once officers arrived, they secured the scene by searching the interior and exterior of the business for the suspect and for anyone in need of medical services. Officers administered first-aid and life-saving techniques until Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services (IEMS) arrived on the scene. IEMS transported four victims with injuries consistent of gunshot wound(s) to various hospitals in the Indianapolis area. Two other victims received minor injuries and were treated by IEMS at the scene and released. A fifth victim with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds sought medical attention in another county. Each person who was transported is believed to have non-life threatening injuries.
- Officers located eight people that were later pronounced deceased. Four people were found in the parking lot outside of the FedEx building and an additional four people were located inside of the FedEx building.
- There were at least 100 people in the facility at the time of the incident. Many were changing shifts and on their dinner breaks.
- Officers located another individual with injuries consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the building. Information gathered from statements and evidence leads detectives to believe the male is the suspect in the shooting. This individual has since been identified as 19-year-old Brandon Hole.
- FedEx officials have confirmed that Hole was a former employee, last working at the facility in 2020. Hole’s employment was terminated when he failed to return to work in October of 2020.
- Two rifles were recovered at the scene. One was a Ruger AR-556, purchased by Hole in September 2020. The second was a HM Defense HM15F, purchased by Hole in July 2020. There is no indication at this time of any modifications made to these guns. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms completed a trace of the weapons and determined that the guns were purchased legally through authorized dealers.
- IMPD continues to work with local and federal partners to analyze evidence and information gathered from this tragic incident. We are grateful for the continued support from community members. That support has been extended to the victim’s families, friends, and all of those that responded that evening and into the next day.
From Fedex: We continue to mourn the loss of our eight team members in Indianapolis. Two individuals remain in the hospital with injuries sustained during the attack. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers along with the families and friends of those who have died.
Over the weekend we learned more about our team members through their family members and co-workers. The victims ranged in age from 19 to 74. Their lives represented different ethnicities and religious faiths. They were fathers and mothers; sisters and brothers; sons and daughters. One was a Vietnam veteran. Another was a recent high school graduate. They were our colleagues and valued members of our team. Their lives represent the best of FedEx: the diversity that is the foundation of our strong workforce.
- Matthew R. Alexander, 32 years old
- Samaria Blackwell, 19 years old
- Amarjeet Johal, 66 years old
- Jasvinder Kaur, 50 years old
- Amarjit Sekhon, 48 years old
- Jaswinder Singh, 68 years old
- Karli Smith, 19 years old
- John Weisert, 74 years old. Weisert was an Air Force veteran, then a retired engineer who worked at FedEx
Four of the victims were Sikhs.