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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe man accused of killing eight people Thursday night at a FedEx Ground facility used two “assault rifles” purchased legally, police said Saturday.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department tweeted that federal authorities traced the two weapons and “IMPD learned that Brandon Hole purchased the rifles legally in July and September of 2020.”
IMPD used the term “assault rifles” without further clarification. Earlier Saturday, IMPD Chief Randal Taylor referred to at least one of the rifles as a semiautomatic.
Police say Hole, a former FedEx employee who apparently killed himself after the rampage, went to the FedEx facility at 8951 Mirabel Road shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday and began shooting at people and cars in the parking lot before going inside and continuing to shoot.
IMPD said witnesses reported seeing Hole using two “assault” weapons.
Taylor initially told IBJ on Saturday night that Hole used a weapon that was a semiautomatic when purchased and it wasn’t clear whether it had been modified. “It will have to be run through some tests,” Taylor said.
Police took a weapon away from Hole roughly one year ago after his mother called police to say that she was worried he would kill himself. That weapon was not returned, but Taylor said the incident was not enough to prohibit Hole from purchasing other guns under the state’s red-flag law.
That law allows officers to seize a person’s gun if police think he or she is dangerous or mentally unstable.
On Saturday, Hole’s family issued a statement apologizing for the shooting and saying they had tried to get the 19-year-old “the help he needed” before Thursday shooting at the FedEx sorting facility at 8951 Mirabel Road.
In addition to the eight who died, five victims went to the hospital, one in critical condition, and two others were treated at the scene and released.
Taylor said police do have surveillance video of the shooting and he had watched “portions of that.” He said no decision has been made about whether the video will be made public.
“It’s pretty bad,” he said.
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