Photo: Jon Cherry / Getty Images
The family of the man suspected of killing eight people and injuring many others at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis released a statement Saturday.
In the brief statement, the family declined all interview requests, apologized, and noted that they tried to get help from Brandon Scott Hole of 19 years.
“We are devastated by the loss of life caused as a result of Brandon’s actions; Through the love of his family, we tried to get him the help he needed, “the statement said.” Our sincerest and heartfelt apologies go out to the victims of this senseless tragedy. We are very sorry for the pain and damage felt by their families and the entire Indianapolis community ”, they explained in the note.
Before they occupied a weapon
In March 2020, Brandon Hole’s mother had contacted authorities, saying she feared her son might opt for a “police suicide” .
Police suicide is a method of suicide in which a suicidal individual deliberately behaves in a way that threatening, with the intent to provoke a lethal response by a public safety officer or law enforcement officer.
Officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department then placed Hole on a mental health suspension and removed a shotgun from his home.
Hole was questioned a month later by the FBI, which did not see in him any “racially motivated violent extremism” or found him to have committed any crime, although The confiscated weapon was not returned to him .
However, the head of the Indianapolis Police Department Randal Taylor reported Saturday that the gunman legally purchased two semi-automatic rifles that he used in the attack more than six months earlier.
UPDATE-During Thursday’s incident , the suspect, Brandon Hole, was witnessed using assault rifles in the assault. ATF conducted a trace on the two weapons. IMPD learned that Brandon Hole purchased the rifles legally in July and September of 2020.
– IMPD (@IMPDnews) April 18, 2020
Taylor said that the fact that Hole was legally able to making the most recent gun purchases indicates that, despite her mother’s warning and a police seizure of a gun , the authorities did not consider him subject to the so-called “red flag”, that prohibits people who are considered by a judge to present a risk dangerous to possess a firearm.
Under the state’s red flag law, authorities have two weeks after taking someone’s gun to argue before a judge that the person is unstable and should be banned Have possession of a weapon for a period of time. But Chief Taylor wasn’t sure if a hearing like that was ever held, even though the police never returned the shotgun they had seized last year.
According to the police version, Hole opened fire on Thursday night indiscriminately in a warehouse of the company of FedEx postal services, where he killed eight people and injured five, before shooting himself to death.
On Friday, the authorities finished identifying the deceased in the massacre, four of whom were members of the Sikh community, a creed originating in the state of Punjab, India.
The deceased victims have been identified as 19 – year-old Matthew R Alexander, 19 – year-old Samaria Blackwell, 66 – year-old Amarjeet Johal, 64 – year-old Jaswinder Kaur, 68 – year-old Jaswinder Singh, 48 – year-old Amarjit Sekhon, 19 – year-old Karlie Smith, and 74 – year-old John Weisert.
– IMPD (@IMPDnews) April 16, 2021
This Saturday several vigils were held in honor of the victims of the massacre in different parts of Indianapolis.
IMPD and Mayor Hogsett join community members in a prayer vigil held tonight at Krannert Park. Our thoughts are with the friends, families and co-workers of the victims who lost their lives in a tragic act of violence Thursday night in Indianapolis. # INDYSTRONG pic.twitter.com/khC0ZJxuGm
– IMPD (@IMPDnews) April 18, 2021