Brandon Scott Hole, a former employee of FedEx has been identified as the killer in the mass shooting which left 8 people dead on Thursday night. Hole was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the facility.
The police have released the names of those who were killed in the shootout which started around 11 p.m. The victims include Amarjeet Johal (66), Jasvinder Kaur (64), Jaswinder Singh (68), Amarjit Sekhon (48), Karlie Smith (19), John Weiser (74), Matthew R Alexander (32), and Samaria Blackwell (19).
Hole Was a Former Employee of FedEx
Hole, a local, was removed from his job at FedEx last year for undisclosed reasons. Indianapolis Deputy Police Chief Craig McCartt said that while the motive remains unclear, the investigators have seized Hole's desktop computers and other electronic media during a search of his house.
Hole, who killed himself following the shootout inside the facility, had randomly started firing at people in the parking lot before entering the building. "There was no confrontation with anyone that was there. There was no disturbance, there was no argument. He just appeared to randomly start shooting," said McCartt.
The investigators have also initiated investigation to find out whether the rifle used in the mass shooting was obtained legally or illegally by the killer.
Shooter Intended to Commit Suicide by Cop
Hole was questioned by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) last year after his mother raised her fears about the teen attempting to commit 'suicide by cop'. It is a term used to describe a suicide method in which a suicidal individual deliberately behaves in a threatening manner, with intent to provoke a lethal response from a public safety or law enforcement officer.
Paul Keenan, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Indianapolis field office, said agents questioned Hole based on items found in his bedroom. According to ABC7Chicago , Keenan said that FBI was called after items were found in Hole's bedroom.
He also added that the agents neither found any evidence of a crime nor did they identify Hole as espousing a racially motivated ideology. A shotgun was also recovered from Hole's home, which was not returned by the authorities.
History of Mental Illness?
Speaking to News Nation affiliate WXIN-TV, Hole's stepsister, who didn't wish to be identified, described him as "isolated." Stating that they have a history of mental illness in the family, the step-sister said that their father also committed suicide in 2004.
"We do have a lot of mental illness in our family and he never got the help that he needed," she said.
However, there was a strong reaction on social media on the issue of Hole possibly suffering from a mental illness. "Yeah, he had a mental illness. You don't just go and kill people without one. Also, his name was Brandon Scott Hole. You're sort of spreading misinformation about the wrong person. His own mother reported him as a threat and he was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold. Geez," tweeted a user.
"I am absolutely heartbroken with the recent events of the fedex shooting. His name is Brandon Scott. he's a terrorist. you don't just go and kill innocent people. a big fuck you to anyone who tries to say he had a mental illness. may the souls who were effected Rest In Peace," wrote another.
