INDIANAPOLIS — The FedEx mass shooter, 19-year-old Brandon Scott Hole, killed eight people on Thursday using two assault rifles, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed on Saturday.
During the mass shooting that occurred at the FedEx Ground Facility, near the International Indianapolis Airport, witnesses saw Hole using assault rifles.
IMPD reports that the department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms conducted a trace on the two weapons and found that Hole legally bought the firearms in July and September of last year.
It was not initially made available where Hole bought the assault weapons.
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Hole was a former employee of the FedEx facility. IMPD confirms he last worked at the Indianapolis facility in 2020.
In March of 2020, Hole's mother contacted law enforcement to report he might try to commit "suicide by cop." He was placed on immediate, but temporary, detention and mental health hold by IMPD.
According to FBI Special Agent Paul Keenan, a shotgun was later seized at Cole's residence. He added that based "on items observed in the suspect’s bedroom at that time, he was interviewed by the FBI in April 2020. No Racially Motivated Violent Extremism (RMVE) ideology was identified during the course of the assessment and no criminal violation was found. The shotgun was not returned to the suspect."
About three months after being interviewed by the FBI for "suicide by cop" ideations, Hole was able to purchase another weapon. And about a year after being interviewed by the FBI, Hole took the lives of 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.
Hole's family released a statement on Saturday, in which they said they tried to the 19-year-old the "help he needed."
READ | 'We tried to get him the help he needed': Family of FedEx mass shooter speaks out |
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