RITU JHA
FedEx is communicating directly with and counselling the families of the victims of the April 15 shooting massacre at a warehouse in Indianapolis, a spokesperson for the company told indica News.
Among the eight people shot dead by Brandon Scot Hole, who also killed himself, were four Sikhs — Amarjeet Kaur Johal, 66, Jaswinder Kaur, 64, Jaswinder Singh, 68, and Amarjit Sekhon, 48.
“We are communicating directly with the employees and families affected by this tragedy and are providing counseling services, both at the facility and through our 24/7 Employee Assistance Program,” Shannon Davis, a spokesperson for FedEx Services, wrote in an email to indica News.
A family member of one of the victims had earlier highlighted to indica News the issue of security at the warehouse. The organizers of the memorial for the victims had also told this correspondent that some of the victims’ families did not want FedEx invited so the company was not invited officially.
However, FedEx was invited to the memorial by the United Sikhs, Davis wrote. Asked about the security arrangements at the warehouse at the time of the incident, she wrote: “The safety of our team members remains our top priority, and we are committed to providing a safe and secure work environment at all times
“We do not publicly disclose details of our security protocols, but we have a number of measures in place designed to keep our people safe, including physical security procedures as well as workplace violence awareness and prevention measures. We continue to assess all of our security programs and processes to identify any potential enhancement opportunities.”
Davis wrote: “As we have stated, we are extremely proud of our inclusive and diverse workforce at the station in Indianapolis, who perform jobs ranging from operations managers and package handlers to various operational support functions. We stand in solidarity with all of our team members during this difficult time.”
She said that in addition to providing immediate benefits and support to the families, the company has also made a gift of $1 million to launch the Indianapolis 4/15 Survivors Fund.
Administered through the National Compassion Fund, every dollar raised will go directly to support the families of the deceased and those affected by this tragedy.
Asked how long Hole had worked at FedEx, Davis wrote: “This horrific crime was committed by a former employee who worked at the station last year for less than two months, from mid-August to October 2020.”
Balwinder Singh, who hosted the memorial prayer service, told indica News that even if the massacre was not a hate crime the local Sikh community is worried about violent incidents against its members, and cited the Wisconsin shooting.
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