INDIANAPOLIS — Since 2021 started, Indianapolis has seen three mass shooting events.
As identifications of the eight victims in Thursday night’s mass shooting at a FedEx Ground facility, the Marion County Coroner’s Office said the city’s violence is taking a toll not only physically, but also mentally.
“We’re going to work literally for the next 24 to 48 hours just to get answers for these families,” Alfarena McGinty, Chief Deputy Coroner said.
McGinty explained during a press conference Friday morning her entire staff will be working to bring closure to the eight families who lost a loved one. She said she is also asking for additional help from other departments and coroner’s offices around the state.
“What we will do is we will work with victim’s assistance, as well as the chaplains at the identified location for the families to unify those families with the decedent,” McGinty said.
Examinations, McGinty said, are thought “to be done in the next 48 to 72 hours.”
“I’ve been with the coroner’s office for 23 years. I’ve not seen this capacity in terms of the numbers of mass fatality shootings in a short period of time. It is very disturbing,” McGinty added.
In January, six people died, including an unborn child on Adams Street. Last month, a domestic violence homicide took the lives of four people, including a 7-year-old child on Randolph Street. As of Thursday night, eight people will not be returning home.
“The staff is definitely suffering and is going to need long term counseling with regard to these types of deaths,” McGinty said.
As the hours and days continue with the investigation, McGinty said the first priority is to these eight families.
“Our first priority is to the families with the decedent who the decedent is as well as determining the cause and manner of death, providing death certificates, so they can move on with their information and things they need to do," McGinty said.
