The governor of Indiana participates in a memorial organized by the Sikh community of Indianapolis, which is still taking off from last month’s attack.
The Sikh community in the American city of Indianapolis held a memorial service on Saturday in honor of the eight people killed in a mass shooting at a Fed Ex facility last month.
Four of the victims of the April 15 attack were Sikhs, sending shock waves through the closely united community.
During Saturday’s ceremony at a local football stadium, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said the city “was still moving because of the impact of this dark night.”
“Never in my wildest imagination did I see this day or this cause of the meeting as a reason for our unification,” Holcomb told the hundreds of people attending Lucas Oil Stadium.
“Why does one day have to be so dark? Why should tragedy strike and tear a community apart, destroy humanity? This pain will surely persist as we continue to live with the loss in all our days.
Days after the killings, the Sikh Coalition advocacy group said the community was traumatized by the attack, which authorities said was carried out by 19-year-old Brandon Scott Hole. Hole, a former employee of the facility, later committed suicide.
U.S. media identified the victims as Amarjeet Kaur Johal, 66, Amarjit Sekhon, 48; Matthew R. Alexander, 32; Samaria Blackwell, 19; Jasvinder Kaur, 50; Jaswinder Singh, 68; Karli Smith, 19; and John Weisert, 74.
Authorities have yet to disclose the reasons for the shooting, which took place in the middle an increase in armed violence throughout the United States.
“During this extremely difficult time, it is up to all of us to work together and help us heal,” Balwinder Singh, leader of the Sikh community in Indianapolis, said in a statement ahead of Saturday’s event.
“Our hope is that on Saturdays of all origins and Sikhs from all over the Midwest will join us on Saturday to support all the families forever affected by this tragedy.”
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said his message to the Sikh community, immigrants and “anyone who feels threatened by this act for the simple fact of being” is that they are “welcome to Indianapolis.”
“And it’s the responsibility of all of our residents to make sure that’s true,” Hogsett said Saturday.
The Gun Violence Archive he says Over the course of this year there have been 170 mass shootings in the US.
The U.S. nonprofit defines mass shooting as any incident in which four or more people are shot or killed, not including the attacker.
U.S. President Joe Biden has called the mass shootings a “national shame” and vowed to enact stricter regulations, but faces an upward battle against gun lobby groups and U.S. lawmakers. they oppose more restrictive gun laws.
