A year after FedEx shooting, Sikh Americans honor victims

A year after a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis left eight employees dead — four of whom were Sikh — the Sikh American community says it is reflecting on the tragedy and continuing to heal. 

A number of national and local groups are honoring victims by holding tributes and prayer services, and by offering resources to the Indianapolis community. 

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI ruled that the April 15, 2021, attack by Brandon Scott Hole, a former FedEx employee, was not motivated by hate or bias. Hole, 19, died by suicide shortly after the shooting.

The eight victims of the shooting were Matthew R. Alexander, 32; Samaria Blackwell, 19; Amarjeet Johal, 66; Jaswinder Kaur, 64; Jaswinder Singh, 68; Amarjit Sekhon, 48; Karli Smith, 19; and John Weisert, 74.

The Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis gurdwara, a Sikh house of worship, held a prayer service in honor of all eight victims on Sunday with more than 300 people attending, including the city's mayor, the Indianapolis police department and friends and family of the victims, according to the IndyStar. 

“The purpose of the service was about healing, self-remembrance and thinking about our community in terms of moving forward and thinking about the community in terms of the resilience that is needed,” K.P. Singh, a founding member of the gurdwara, told NBC Asian America. 

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

The service, co-sponsored by the nonprofit organization Immigrant Welcome Center, also provided congregants with information about health and community resources available to the Sikh community in Indianapolis. 

“After a mass shooting, many cities establish a virtual resiliency center,” Gurinder Hohl, the center's chief executive, said. “The purpose of that center is to be able to provide assistance, referrals and resources to the victims, their families and the community in general and to start the healing process.” 

Punjabi Sikh community navigators, people who act as a liaison between the organization and Punjabi residents, are participating in the center’s community outreach to the Sikh population. “They will be from the Indianapolis community so that they already have existing connections within the community,” she said. 

Hohl said this model is effective and necessary because immigrant communities and communities of color have more trust when interacting with individuals who look like them, speak their language and understand their culture.

“It’s important to recognize how individuals and communities overcome trauma and have conversations about how to create more strategies in our communities to have resilience and deal with events like this,” she said. 

Singh was touched by the number of people who came to the service, especially non-Sikh residents. Singh, who has lived in Indiana since 1967, says education and visibility of the Sikh community are necessary to heal. “A key to dispelling negativity and unprovoked violence is by learning from each other and assuring a sense of belonging,” he said. 

Singh said he is hopeful the service was another step in the healing process. “We are grieving for the victims, but there needs to be optimism and joy to do what we need to rebuild our lives, our shattered spirit and feelings about what had happened.” 

The Sikh Coalition, a nonprofit organization, will sponsor the planting of eight trees in honor of each victim at the Great Indy Cleanup at Arsenal Park, hosted by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and the Eway Foundation on April 23, according to a press release. United Sikhs, an international humanitarian nonprofit, is offering tribute to the victims’ families.

“Our prayers are for the families of those left behind to overcome this grief. Life, we understand will not be the same, but hope and faith are the two pillars that will strengthen their resolve to come to grip with the vacuum left behind,” Gurpreet Singh, chief executive officer for United Sikhs, said.

FedEx Ground team members across the U.S. and Canada will hold a moment of silence on Thursday in remembrance of the victims and other plans to honor those affected formally are underway, a spokesperson for the company said in an email to NBC Asian America. 

“The FedEx family has been deeply touched by the outpouring of support from communities near and far, and we extend our sincere appreciation as we continue along the path to healing,” the statement said.

The families of five victims filed a lawsuit earlier this month against FedEx and its security contractor, saying the shooting was “preventable.”