Joe Biden calls FedEx mass shooting 'national embarrassment' that needs to stop

Four members of the Sikh community were among the eight people killed in a shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis. The Sikh Coalition took to its official handle and confirmed that four members of its community were also killed in the shooting as authorities revealed the names of victims later. United States President Joe Biden termed the incident as a "national embarrassment" during a White House briefing on Friday. He said, “It's not always these mass shootings that are occurring -- every single day, there's a mass shooting in the United States, if you count all those who are killed out on the streets of our cities and our rural areas. It's a national embarrassment and must come to an end”. The Chairman and CEO of FedEx, Fredrick Smith, called the incident a 'senseless act of violence'.

4 Sikhs Among 8 Killed

The authorities confirmed the shooter to be Brandon Scott Hole, a 19-year-old former employee of the express delivery service who quit his job last fall. The Federal Bureau of Investigation informed that his mother had warned the law enforcement in 2020 that he might attempt "suicide by cop". With half of the victims belonging to the Sikh community, the attack is being deemed as another possible hate crime against Asian Americans.

'Horrified and heartbroken'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was "horrified and heartbroken" by Thursday's incident and called for Congress to "urgently enact common sense" on gun control. As per police, a total of eight people were shot and killed in a late-night shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, and the shooter killed himself. According to the reports by AP, police spokesperson Genae Cook said that several other people were injured when gunfire erupted at the facility near the Indianapolis International Airport. The shooter was not immediately identified. The investigators were in the process of conducting interviews and gathering information. Cook had said it was too early to tell whether the shooter was an employee at the facility.

In a statement, Smith said, “I want to express my deepest sympathies to the families, friends, and co-workers of those team members. Our priority right now is in responding to the situation on the ground and helping our team members and law enforcement. We have a team onsite in Indianapolis to provide support, and we are making counsellors available”. He added, “This is a devastating day, and words are hard to describe the emotions we all feel. Please keep the Indianapolis team and surrounding community in your thoughts and prayers as we continue to support and care for each other in the difficult days ahead”.

(Image Credits: AP)