Indianapolis FedEx shooter was former employee, previously investigated by FBI

The man suspected of fatally shooting eight people at a FedEx facility on the grounds of the Indianapolis International Airport late Thursday was formerly an employee at the location, a FedEx spokesperson told The Associated Press on Friday.

The suspected mass shooter, identified as 19-year-old Brandon Scott Hole, was also reportedly known to federal and local authorities prior to the attack. CNN reports that before the gunman allegedly opened fire at the facility, a family member reached out to authorities to warn about his potential for violence. The FBI reportedly launched a preliminary investigation, but dropped it after concluding there wasn't sufficient evidence.

The shooter killed eight people, and at least four other victims have been hospitalized, police said, also reporting the gunman shot and killed himself after officers arrived at the FedEx facility.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Officials with the coroner's office began the process of identifying victims Friday afternoon. Law enforcement has not yet identified a motive, but is reportedly considering bias as a factor, since a "significant" number of employees at the FedEx facility are members of the Sikh community, said Police Chief Randal Taylor.

Read more at The Associated Press and CNN.