At least eight people have been killed and multiple others injured after a gunman went on a rampage with an assault rifle at a FedEx warehouse near Indianapolis Airport before killing himself.
Officers say they found ‘multiple victims’ with apparent gunshot wounds and a number of people have been taken to hospital for their injuries after a ‘mass casualty event’ on Thursday evening.
At least four people were hospitalized, including one person with critical injuries, police said in the early hours of Friday morning. Two others were treated at the scene and released. No law enforcement officers were injured.
‘This is very heartbreaking,’ Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Genae Cook told reports at around 3 a.m. on Friday, hours after the shooting. She said police officers came in contact with an active shooter after they were called shortly after 11pm on Thursday.
The male gunman is understood to have taken his own life, and is the ninth confirmed death from the incident. Police reported finding the alleged shooter’s body at 11:23 p.m. local time.
Two eyewitnesses report seeing a man getting a gun from the trunk of his car. One worker told local media they saw a body on the floor.
It is understood that FedEx employees are not allowed to use their cell phones on the floor of the warehouse and would have been unable to easily dial 911 during the attack.
At around 2:45 a.m. on Friday, around 110 people were anxiously waiting in a nearby hotel for news on their loved ones working at the facility, before the initial death count was confirmed by the police. Those gathered had not heard from their loved ones working inside.
Images from the scene show a heavy police presence. Initial reports suggest that the shooting took place both inside the facility and outside in a parking lot.
All available chaplains in the area have been called to help with the incident.
Officer Cook encouraged anyone who was at the scene to contact the local police, or for those working in the facility to get in touch with their supervisor to let them know if they are safe.
She added there would be another briefing later this morning.
FedEx called the shooting ‘tragic’ in a statement, adding: ‘We are aware of the tragic shooting at our FedEx Ground facility near the Indianapolis airport. Safety is our top priority, and our thoughts are with all those who are affected. We are working to gather more information and are cooperating with investigating authorities.’