6 months since FedEx tragedy: 'We continue to mourn the loss of our team members'

INDIANAPOLIS — It's been six months since eight people were shot and killed while they were working at the FedEx Ground facility on Maribel Road in Indianapolis.

“Nearly six months after one of the darkest days in the history of our company, we continue to mourn the loss of our team members and lend support to those affected by the tragic events of April 15," a statement from FedEx this week read.

Those team members: Matthew Alexander, Samaria Blackwell, Amarjeet Johal, Jasvinder Kaur, Jaswinder Singh, Amarjit Sekhon, Karli Smith and John Weisert were all killed in the deadly mass shooting.

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While FedEx doesn't publicly disclose details of its security protocols, in a statement, it said it has a number of measures in place to keep people safe, including physical security procedures and workplace violence awareness and prevention measures.

"The safety of our team members remains our top priority, and we are committed to providing a safe and secure work environment at all times," the statement read. "We continue to assess our security programs and processes to identify any potential enhancement opportunities."

Honoring those we lost

"The FedEx family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from communities near and far, and we extend our deepest appreciation as we continue working together through this difficult time to serve the ongoing shipping needs of our customers," the statement read.

In the days after the tragedy, the community came together at vigils to honor those who were killed.

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The vigils continued and were held across central Indiana, including in Greenwood, Butler-Tarkington and at Lucas Oil Stadium.

In August, Samaria Blackwell was honoredat the Garfield Park Aquatic Center, where she worked and volunteered for three years. When the Avon Police Department learned she dreamed of becoming a police officer, they started collecting patches from law enforcement agencies across the country and presented them to her family in June.

Matthew Alexander was honored with jerseys from the St. Louis Cardinals and Indianapolis Indians in June. In July, a baseball tournament was held in his honor to raise money for a scholarship fund.

Indianapolis' third mass homicide of the year

"In Indianapolis, 3rd massacre in 3 months," the front page of The New York Times on Saturday, April 17, read. This was the 11th mass homicide in the United States in 2021.

As of Thursday, there have been 22 mass homicides in the country, according to the Gun Violence Archives. Indianapolis is still the only city on the list with more than one mass homicide so far this year.

The other two mass homicides, one on Adams Street and the other on North Randolph Street, left a total of nine people and an unborn child dead.