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Jayapal marks 5 years since Indianapolis FedEx shooting
The shooting occurred at a facility largely composed of Sikh employees.
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Malvika Choudhary - Thu, 16, Apr 2026
- 11:46 EDT
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US Representative Pramila Jayapal. / Instagram/@repjayapal
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal on April 15 marked five years since the mass shooting at a FedEx Ground facility in Indianapolis that killed eight workers, including four members of the Sikh community.
The Washington Democrat, joined by André Carson, Grace Meng, and Judy Chu, introduced a congressional resolution to commemorate the victims, condemn gun violence and hate, and reaffirm commitments to civil rights and community safety.
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“I got my start in organizing in the wake of 9/11, standing up for our Sikh, Muslim, Arab, and South Asian neighbors who were experiencing increased racism and hate,” Jayapal said.
“In 2021, at the height of this wave, eight workers, half of whom were members of the Sikh community, were killed in Indiana. Today we remember and honor their lives, and recommit ourselves to a world that is more just and safe for all communities,” she added.
Eight people – Matthew Alexander, Samaria Blackwell, Amarjeet Johal, Jasvinder Kaur, Amarjit Sekhon, Jaswinder Singh, Karli Smith, and John Weisert – were killed in the attack, and several others were injured.
The resolution also criticizes discrimination and bigotry, including white supremacist rhetoric, and urges federal action to safeguard civil and human rights.
Jayapal’s resolution has drawn support from advocacy groups, including Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Sikh Coalition, and Stop AAPI Hate, which said the anniversary underscores ongoing concerns over anti-Asian and anti-immigrant rhetoric and violence.
“Five years ago today, a gunman attacked a FedEx facility in Indianapolis and killed eight individuals, four of whom were members of the local Sikh community,” said Harman Singh, executive director of the Sikh Coalition. “While this question of motive still remains unsettled for many, the importance of commemoration remains.”
Kiran Kaur Gil, executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said the resolution recognizes the impact of the shooting on both the Indianapolis community and Sikh Americans nationwide.
“This resolution is about remembrance, dignity, and accountability,” said Sim J. Singh Attariwala of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), pointing to the impact of anti-immigrant and anti-minority rhetoric.
Manjusha Kulkarni of Stop AAPI Hate said the anniversary comes amid continued concerns over safety, with some South Asian community members withdrawing from public life due to fear.
The resolution is also sponsored by several lawmakers, including Suzan DelBene, Josh Gottheimer, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Frank Pallone Jr., Lateefah Simon, Darren Soto, Tom Suozzi, and Mike Thompson.
The April 2021 shooting remains the deadliest mass shooting in Indiana’s history. A 19-year-old former employee opened fire at the facility, killing eight people and injuring several others before taking his own life, according to investigators.
Since four of the victims were members of the Sikh community, the attack prompted widespread concern over anti-Sikh violence and renewed scrutiny of hate targeting in the United States.
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