Amarjeet Kaur Johal, a mother, grandmother and member of Indianapolis' Sikh community, was one of eight people killed by a gunman at the FedEx Ground Plainfields Operation Center on Thursday night, a family member told IndyStar.
"I am heartbroken to confirm that my nanjii (maternal grandmother), Amarjeet Kaur Johal, is among those killed in the senseless shooting at the FedEx facility in Indianapolis," her grandson said in a Twitter message.
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He said his family would not be interviewed at the time, but shared that they are undergoing trauma after the incident.
"We are still working to identify others who were injured and killed on Thursday night," the grandson wrote. "I have several family members who work at the particular facility and are traumatized. My nani, my family and our families should not feel unsafe at work, at their place of worship, or anywhere. Enough is enough — our community has been through enough trauma."
According to her grandson's Twitter, Johal, 66, was planning to work a double shift Thursday so she could take Friday off. She later decided to grab her check and go home. He said she still had her check in her hand when they found her.
"This other guy (that) just moved from India just got his first paycheck," the grandson wrote. "(What) a harsh and cruel world we live in."
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Three other members of the Sikh community were killed Thursday night, according to statements from the Sikh Coalition.
"We are deeply saddened to learn that Sikh community members are among those injured and killed by the gunman in Indianapolis last night," coalition Executive Director Satjeet Kaur said in a statement released Friday afternoon.
"Our hearts and prayers are with their families, and we are in touch with community leaders, government and law enforcement officials to learn more. While we don’t yet know the motive or identity of the shooter, we expect that authorities will continue to conduct a full investigation — including the possibility of bias as a factor.”
Police responded to reports of shots fired at the FedEx facility about 11:00 p.m. Thursday night. Authorities identified the gunman as 19-year-old Brandon Scott Hole. They said he was a former FedEx employee and had last worked for the company in 2020.
The police have not yet said whether racial bias played a role in the attack.
Contact IndyStar reporter London Gibson at 317-419-1912 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @londongibson.
