Eight people have been shot and killed in a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis.
The gunman, who later killed himself, opened fire late Thursday evening at a warehouse near Indianapolis International Airport, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Genae Cook told journalists at a presser in the early hours of the morning.
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“As officers arrived, they came into contact with an active shooting incident. After a preliminary search of the grounds, inside and out, we have located eight people at the scene with injuries consistent to gunshot wounds. Those eight were pronounced deceased here at the scene,” Cook said. “We have been made aware of multiple other people with injuries who have been transported to local hospitals or who have transported themselves to local hospitals.”
“It is very heartbreaking,” Cook continued. “The officers responded, they came in, they went in, and they did their job. And a lot of them are trying to face this, because this is a sight that no one should ever have to see.”
Some of those injured were treated and released at the scene, while at least four people have been taken to hospital, including one person in a critical condition.
A witness who said he works at the facility told WISH-TV that he saw a man with a gun after hearing several gunshots.
“I saw a man with a submachine gun of some sort, an automatic rifle, and he was firing in the open,” Jeremiah Miller said.
The gunman is yet to be identified, and there are no details whether he was an employee of the company, according to Cook.
“We’re still trying to ascertain the exact reason and cause for this incident,” she said.
A statement from FedEx said: “We are aware of the tragic shooting at our FedEx Ground facility near the Indianapolis airport. Safety is our top priority, and our thoughts are with all those who are affected.”
André Carson, the U.S. Representative for Indiana’s 7th congressional district, said he was distraught to hear the news of the shooting.
“I am heartbroken by the mass shooting at the FedEx facility here in Indianapolis and praying for all affected by this tragedy,” he wrote. “I am communicating with local authorities to get all details of the attack and my office stands ready to help everyone affected any way we can.”
According to the Mass Shooting Tracker, there have been 168 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2021, not including this recent incident in Indianapolis.
Additional reporting by David Gilbert.
