Sikhs Nationwide Solemnly Mark One-Year Anniversary of Indianapolis FedEx Shooting
April 13, 2022 (Indianapolis, IN) – On Friday, the Sikh Coalition will join community members in Indianapolis and across the nation in commemorating the one-year anniversary of the April 2021 mass shooting at a FedEx ground facility.
Eight individuals were killed in this horrific act of violence, including four members of the local Sikh community; many others were injured, traumatized, or lost family and loved ones forever. On Friday, we pause to solemnly remember those who were lost: Matthew R. Alexander, Samaria Blackwell, Amarjeet Kaur Johal, Jasvinder Kaur, Jaswinder Singh, Amarjit Sekhon, Karli Smith, and John “Steve” Weisert.
“On this solemn day, our hearts are with the families and friends of those whose loved ones were taken in this act of violence,” said Harpreet Singh, Sikh Coalition Co-Interim Executive Director. “As we have worked with the Indianapolis community over this past year to heal and move forward together, we once again find ourselves inspired by a sangat’s capacity to remain resilient in the face of tragedy.”
As we work to first and foremost center the experiences of those most affected in the course of our remembrance, below is a quote that can be attributed to a family member of one of the victims:
“Our community has known much pain for many years because of how we look and who we are. If that is why my Naniji (grandmother) was senselessly murdered, I will never know,” said Komal Chohan, granddaughter of Amarjeet Kaur Johal. “But I do know that she was a hardworking woman all of her life whose only hope was to see her family succeed. I hope that everyone will honor her life and each of the lives lost in this tragedy, and reflect on how we as a society can do better to prevent something like this from ever happening again.”
Additionally, on April 23, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and the Eway Foundation will be hosting the Great Indy Cleanup at Arsenal Park (1201 E 46th St, Indianapolis, IN 46205) where volunteers will be cleaning up the park and planting 150 trees. During the event, the Sikh Coalition will sponsor eight trees that will be planted in honor of the eight lives lost on April 15, 2021. A commemorative interfaith program will lead into the event. We look forward to sharing more details in the week ahead.
In the immediate aftermath of the mass shooting, the Sikh Coalition worked to provide free legal support to survivors and affected family members; engage local, state, and national law enforcement on the investigation; collect and distribute mental health resources to the sangat; support community vigils and events; and coordinate and field local, national, and international media requests. Despite the most difficult of circumstances for the impacted families and communities involved, it has been our honor to provide direct services and support to the broader Indianapolis community.
Source: Sikhs Nationwide Solemnly Mark One-Year Anniversary of Indianapolis FedEx Shooting – Sikh Coalition