National CAPACD Grieves with Indianapolis and the Sikh Community
This weekend, our hearts grew heavier by the news of the latest mass shooting on Friday, April 15th at an Indianapolis FedEx facility, which left eight people dead and several others injured. Of the lives lost, four were members of the Sikh community. National CAPACD extends our condolences to the victims’ loved ones, and we vow to be in solidarity with the Sikh community and its leaders during this horrifying tragedy and through the collective healing process.
While the investigation is still ongoing and the motive of the shooter is unclear, much about this violent act is indisputable. The targeted FedEx facility heavily employed Sikh workers, and race must be considered as a motive in the investigation. For the Sikh community, this attack deepens the fear, pain, and trauma from decades of violence, including the 2012 Oak Creek gurdwara shooting and post-9/11 attacks and discrimination. This weekend’s shooting is further devastating because it took place just days after Vaisakhi, one of the holiest days for the Sikh community, which commemorates their commitment to liberation from injustice. Our collective movement has learned so much from the Sikh spirit of resilience, and now we must demand for them the ease of going to their gurdwaras and workplaces without fearing for their lives.
National CAPACD Executive Director Seema Agnani states “We are deeply saddened by the loss of so many lives in Indianapolis last Friday, only a week after the shooting of Daunte Wright in Minnesota. It is clear that immigrants, communities of color, low-wage workers, and other vulnerable populations are not just the primary targets of violence motivated by hate, but also the victims of leadership that continues to ignore the urgency of stronger gun control laws, police reform, and confronting racism. We will work with national partners and our members to hold our leaders accountable and ensure racial justice for all communities of color.”
The Sikh Coalition issued a statement from representatives of eight Indianapolis-area gurdwaras. Read the statement here.