Ever since the incident on Friday, Varundeep Singh has struggled to contact his uncle and aunt, who live and work in the US city of Indianapolis for the past year.
Mr Singh says his father, who lives in Punjab, was the only one in his immediate family who could get in touch with his uncle after the shooting incident that occurred at the FedEx facility where the couple worked.
"Both my uncle and aunt were present at the warehouse at the time of the shooting. They were working the night shift and were luckily on a break at the time of the incident," Mr Singh tells SBS Punjabi.
"My uncle told my father on the phone after the incident that he was standing just two feet away from his colleague, Jaswinder Singh, who got shot that day.
There was utter chaos where nobody knew what was happening. He told my dad that everyone was in complete shock after hearing gunshots being fired in the facility's front car park.
Mr Singh says that his uncle had to run to the rear end of the warehouse to save his life.
"They were lucky to have escaped unhurt. It was such a nightmare to hear that members of my family had to witness such a terribly shocking thing. My condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones," Mr Singh says with a heavy heart.
Mr Singh shares that people who were present at the warehouse were shifted to a hotel after the incident.
A body is taken from the scene of a shooting at a FedEx Ground facility in Indianapolis, Friday, 16 April, 2021. Source: AP via AAP
"They were not allowed to use their phones, which made it difficult for us to contact them. Later, their phones were taken away by the authorities," he says.
The shooting began at 11 pm local time on 16 April, during the shift change at the FedEx warehouse - a time when the parking area was packed with employees arriving for work or leaving the premises after their shifts.
Eight people were killed after the 19-year-old gunman, who is said to be a former FedEx employee, went on a shooting spree at the delivery company's warehouse and then reportedly killed himself.
The police identified the victims as Amarjeet Singh, 66; Jaswinder Kaur, 64; Jaswinder Singh, 68; Amarjit Sekhon, 48; Matthew R. Alexander, 32; Samaria Blackwell, 19; Karli Smith, 19; and John Weisert, 74.
Five others who sustained injuries continue to remain in the hospital.
US officials disclosed that the gunman's mother had warned law enforcement officials last year that he might try to attempt "suicide by cop."
According to a media report, an FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) agent confirmed that federal agents had interviewed the gunman in April 2020, after which he was put on an 'immediate detention mental health temporary hold.'
Community leaders condemn Indianapolis mass shooting:
KP Singh (purple turban) with some dignitaries and members of Sikh community at the Gurdwara Sahib, Indianapolis Source: Supplied
Many Sikh organisations across the US and Australia have condemned the incident and expressed solidarity with the families of the victims and the community in Indianapolis.
KP Singh, a Sikh community representative from Indianapolis, shared his grief and condolences with SBS Punjabi.
"The Hoosier Sikh community and our friends across the many faiths and cultures are stunned with grief and sadness about the murder of eight innocent Indiana residents, including four members of the Sikh community in the shooting at the FedEx facility in Indianapolis on Thursday, 16 April," he said.
"The investigation is still on as we eagerly await any official information on the gunman's motive. We hope that every effort will be to probe this incident," said Melbourne-based Gurvinder Singh, the International Humanitarian Aid Director at United Sikhs, an international civil and human rights advocacy organisation based in New York.
"United Sikhs extends sincerest sympathies to the families of the victims of this atrocious act and renews its call to Congress, and the executive branches at the state and federal level to declare these types of crimes, including race and ethnicity, hate-based crimes, a crisis and a national emergency," Mr Singh said in a statement.
The Sikh-American advocacy group, the Sikh Coalition, has also issued a statement condemning the mass shooting and calling on the community to stay united in the wake of the tragedy.
Aasees Kaur, legal client and community services manager of the Sikh Coalition reads a statement on the groups response after the group met at the Sikh Satsang Source: AAP Image/AP Photo/Michael Conroy
"The Sikh Coalition facilitated a call between the White House Office of Public Engagement and other federal officials and Indiana sangat leaders, where we made several asks of President Biden and his Administration. We also continue to engage local and national press to ensure respectful and responsible coverage of the Sikh victims and their families as news coverage of this tragedy continues to unfold," Sikh Coalition Executive Director Satjeet Kaur said.
According to the group’s estimate, over 10,000 Sikhs live in Indiana.
Amar Singh from the Sydney-based charity group, Turbans 4 Australia has also joined the chorus of the US-Sikh community calling for gun reforms as he mourns the deaths of four members of the community who lost their lives in the mass killing.
Special prayer ceremonies were held at the Gurdwara Sahib, Indianapolis to pay tributes to the victims of FedEx warehouse mass shooting. Source: Supplied
“We stand in solidarity with our Sikh community in the US. We are deeply saddened after yet another senseless shooting and killing of innocent people in Indianapolis. Sikhs across Australia are praying for the victims and their families. The authorities must stop this gun culture that is taking hundreds of innocent lives,” he said in an interview with SBS Punjabi.
The violence in Indianapolis comes only weeks after mass shootings last month at spas in the Atlanta area and at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, renewing pressure on lawmakers to address the country’s deep-seated problem with gun violence.
Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline crisis support on 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25). More information is available at and . supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
