Sikh Coalition sends letters to local leaders calling for investigation into possible bias motivation in FedEx shooting

INDIANAPOLIS — Sikh leaders are raising questions about the motive behind last Thursday's mass shooting at a FedEx Ground facility on the west side of Indianapolis.

They’re calling on law enforcement as well as elected leaders to make sure there is a full and transparent investigation. They have sent letters to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI, Gov. Eric Holcomb, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and other Hoosier lawmakers.

“If you are Sikh or any minority living in America it is impossible to look at the tragedy that unfolded and not immediately consider the possibility that bias was a motivator,” Nikki Singh, Policy and Advocacy Manager for the Sikh Coalition said.

She said new details about the shooter show bias cannot be ruled out yet.

“The fact that the shooter had reportedly been on white supremacist websites is a critical piece of new and relevant information,” Singh said. “It is undeniable that this FedEx facility was established as a place of employment for an extremely high number of Sikh employees and the gunman knew that, so we fully expect law enforcement will consider that as part of the investigation.”

The letters from the Sikh coalition outline a dozen other Sikh related attacks across the country since September 11, 2001.

They realize it is too soon to tell if that was the case in this incident.

“No one should jump to conclusions. We are the first to urge caution. The details of every investigation matter enormously and that is absolutely true here,” Singh said.

In the letter to IMPD Chief Randall Taylor, the Sikh Coalition requested a meeting so they could discuss the investigation with him and introduce him to “survivors he has not yet interviewed.”