RITU JHA
The Sikh community in Indianapolis is still grappling to come to terms with the April 15 shooting in which a gunman killed eight people at a FedEx warehouse.
Four of the dead were Sikh. Two of the four injured, Sandeep Kaur, 29 and Harpreet Singh Gill, 45, are also Sikh.
The alleged killer, Brandon Hole, 19, was an ex employee at the warehouse.
Gaganpal Singh, a media coordinator, told indica News that Kaur was injured in the shoulder and was discharged from the hospital but Gill “will take time to recover — it looks serious.”
Gurinder Sikh Khalsa, founder of SikhPac charitable organization which held a meeting at the local Sikh Gurdwara, told indica News that the shooting had created fear among the community.
“The shooting has raised the security lapse question. There was a security lapse and the other big lapse was made by the FBI,” said Khalsa.
The FBI, Indianapolis Deputy Police Chief Craig McCartt reportedly said, had in March 2020 investigated Hole and confiscated his shotgun.
“This shows and raises the question of why there was no proper background checking,” Khalsa said. “If the FBI took the gun, at least they could have added a red flag that he cannot buy a gun anymore. We the Sikh community are demanding an investigation into this matter why there was a lapse.”
When CBS asked McCartt how he was able to legally buy two assault-style weapons, the police chief said: “Prosecutors lacked sufficient time and evidence to obtain an order under Indiana’s red flag law.”
According to Wikipedia, in the United States, a red flag law is a gun control law that permits police or family members to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who may present a danger to others or themselves.
A judge makes the determination to issue the order based on statements and actions made by the gun owner in question.
Khalsa told indica News that the FedEx office would open soon and since 80 percent of employees are Sikhs, they should have been offered security. FedEx has announced it would pay for the funerals, that is $20,000.
Also, to support the victims, FedEx has set up a National Compassion Fund page with a goal of $1,500,000.
Khalsa welcomed the initiative by FedEx. “But we need the security of our community when they return to work,” he added.
