Here’s what we know about the shooting at the Indianapolis FedEx facility

Last Thursday was a dark one in the city of Indianapolis as at least 8 people were killed in a shooting spree at a FedEx facility, according to police. The shooting, reportedly, began a few minutes after 11 p.m. ET and officers met an active shooter incident.

“This is a devastating day, and words are hard to describe the emotions we all feel,” said FedEx CEO Fredrick W. Smith. “I want to express my deepest sympathies to the families, friends, and co-workers of those team members.”

Craig McCartt, deputy chief of criminal investigations for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in a news conference Friday morning said the suspect arrived at the facility, got out of his car, pulled out his gun, and started shooting randomly, almost immediately. He said that the shooting lasted about two minutes, but there was no initial disturbance or argument that preceded the shooting.

The suspect killed himself after his shooting round. Four dead bodies were found outside the facility and four more inside the facility.

A FedEx employee who was present at the scene during the incident told NBC’s “TODAY” show that he was just outside the building when the shots went off. He said he initially thought it was a car with a bad engine until he soon realized that the sounds were gunshots. The employee, Levi Miller said all he could see was a man with a hooded figure firing the shots. He said the man held a rifle and was yelling, but Miller couldn’t determine what the shouting was about. “I thought he saw me and so I immediately ducked for cover,” he added.

Four victims who were injured were taken to hospitals and some others privately transported to medical facilities, officials said. They added that the attack was carried out by a former FedEx employee who worked at the facility last fall. Although a motive for the shooting is yet to be determined, the shooter’s mother said a year ago, she was concerned that he might be suicidal.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan said the shooter’s mother contacted law enforcement in March 2020 saying that he may likely “attempt” suicide by cop. The phrase “suicide by cop” is used to refer to a suicidal person who intentionally seeks the attention of the police in the hope of a bloody confrontation.

“A shotgun was seized at his residence. 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,” a statement said.

The statement added that the shotgun retrieved from the suspect a year ago was not returned to him.

Law enforcement identified the dead suspect as 19-year-old Brandon Scott Hole. As of Friday afternoon, the police were yet to identify all the victims to notify their families.

In recent weeks, there have been several mass shootings in the U.S., including the Asian spa shootings in February, an April 8 shooting at a cabinet company building in Bryan, Texas, a January shooting in the city’s northeast side which left five people dead, and several others that have occurred.

The increased rate of gun violence in the U.S. has become a cause for great concern. According to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit that tracks gun violence in the country, more than 19,000 people died in gun homicides in 2020, up nearly 25 percent from 2019.