IN THE DARK
FAMILY and friends of employees at the FedEx facility where eight people were fatally shot on Thursday night have explained how they could not reach loved ones who did not have their cellphones with them at work.
Those struggling to reach staff working at the Indianapolis facility were directed to go to a Holiday Inn Express nearby, .
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Speaking in Friday morning, Charise Grice, whose nephew Raymond works at the FedEx, said she not heard whether he is safe or not.
Grice said: "We’re waiting. We don’t know if my nephew is ok or not.
"We’ve been calling his phone, texting him. They said their phones are locked up, they can’t have them at work."
Late on Thursday night, a gunman opened fire at the facility, killing eight people and injuring at least seven before turning the gun on himself.
OUT OF REACH
The shooter was identified as Brandon Scott Hole, 19, by police.
While some families continued to wait for news, others as they discovered their loved ones were safe.
One man, Ian Johnston, told Fox59 that his wife, who works at the facility, had text him to say there was an active shooter.
Johnson said: "My wife works in there and she texted me to tell me there’s an active shooter and we communicated back and forth for a while, she’s since notified me she’s okay.
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"After I communicated with her for a while, then it went silent for a while, so I came here just to see what was going on and she texted me I’m okay.”
One woman, Tammy Campbell, whose husband works at the facility, expressed her frustration at the lack of communication she received during the hours after the shooting.
Campbell said a different policy is needed to allow FedEx staff like her husband to have their cellphones while they work.
POLICIES QUESTIONED
She added: "They need a different type of policy where you contact your employee or allow them to have their cell phones. They gotta change that."
On Friday evening, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department announced the victims of the shooting would be named at 8:15pm local time.
Earlier in the day, the FBI confirmed it had , who had previously worked for FedEx, last year.
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Hole's mother reportedly called the police when she worried that Hole might commit "suicide by cop."
When authorities searched Hole's house, they seized a shotgun that they said was not returned to the alleged shooter.
Hole was reportedly deemed no further threat to the community when he was released.
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