Four Sikhs dead in Indianapolis shooting, in new blow to Asian-American community
- It is not clear if Sikhs were targeted by the 19-year-old gunman who killed eight people at a FedEx warehouse before taking his own life
- Members of the religion began settling in Indiana more than 50 years ago and opened their first house of worship, known as a gurdwara, in 1999
Amarjit Sekhon, a 48-year-old mother of two sons, was the breadwinner of her family and one of many members of Indianapolis’ tight-knit Sikh community employed at a FedEx warehouse on the city’s southwest side.
Her death on Thursday night in a mass shooting that claimed the lives of eight FedEx employees – four of them Sikhs – has left that community stunned and in mourning, her brother-in-law, Kuldip Sekhon, said on Saturday.
He said his sister-in-law began working at the FedEx facility in November – after previously working at a bakery – and was a dedicated worker whose husband was disabled.
“She was a workaholic, she always was working, working. She would never sit still unless she felt really bad,” he said.
In addition to Sekhon, the Marion County Coroner’s office identified the other victims late on Friday as: Matthew R. Alexander, 32; Samaria Blackwell, 19; Amarjeet Johal, 66; Jaswinder Kaur, 64; Jaswinder Singh, 68; Karli Smith, 19; and John Weisert, 74.