INDIANAPOLIS — Police said the former employee who shot and killed eight people at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis legally purchased the two rifles used in the attack despite red flag laws designed to prevent that.
Officials with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said a trace of the two guns found by investigators at the scene revealed that suspect Brandon Scott Hole, 19, of Indianapolis, legally bought the rifles in July and September of last year.
Indiana has a “red flag law” intended to prevent people from possessing a firearm if they are found by a judge to present “an imminent risk."
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.
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 get the 19-year-old the "help he needed."