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FedEx facility shooting kills 8 in Indianapolis

By Zamira Rahim, Jessie Yeung, Steve George, Aditi Sangal, Nick Thompson, Meg Wagner and Melissa Mahtani, CNN

Updated 9:57 p.m. ET, April 16, 2021

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5:28 a.m. ET, April 16, 2021

Witness says he saw a man firing “an automatic rifle”

From CNN's Alta Spells

FedEx employees Timothy Boillat and Jeremiah Miller. WISH

Two employees who say they were at the FedEx ground facility when they heard gunshots shared details of the incident with CNN affiliate WISH.

Jeremiah Miller told WISH he was taking a break between shifts when he heard two, then three shots.

He first thought the sounds were coming from a car.

Miller said he then heard between six and 10 shots which made him stand and look at the entrance door.

"I saw a man with a submachine gun of some sort, an automatic rifle, and he was firing in the open. I immediately ducked down and got scared and my friend’s mother, she came in and told us to get inside the car,” Miller told WISH.

Miller and his co-worker Timothy Boillat said they told colleagues about the shooting.

Miller said the pair told other employees "to not go to work today and to know there was an incident that just happened."

"I didn’t exactly see the person get shot but, after hearing the shootings, I did see a body on the floor behind a vehicle," Boillat said to WISH.
"Thank God for being here cause I thought I was gonna get shot," Miller added.

4:03 a.m. ET, April 16, 2021

Indianapolis police: "This is a sight no one should ever have to see"

Police arrived at the scene of the shooting at around 11:00 p.m. local time to an active-shooter situation and entered the facility without hesitation, said Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman Genae Cook.

"The officers responded, they came in, they went in and they did their job," Cook said. "A lot of them are trying to face this because this is a sight no one should ever have to see."

Police are asking anyone who was at the scene and may have left for safety or for medical treatment to contact the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police to provide information on the shooting.

4:06 a.m. ET, April 16, 2021

Indiana congressman: "I am heartbroken by the mass shooting"

Rep. Andre Carson wears a protective mask during a House Intelligence Committee hearing in Washington, DC, on April 15. Al Drago/Pool/Getty Images

Indiana Congressman Andre Carson, who represents the 7th District of Indiana, including Indianapolis, tweeted his condolences for the victims' loved ones in a statement early Friday morning.

"I am heartbroken by the mass shooting at the FedEx facility here in Indianapolis and praying for all affected by this tragedy," he wrote. "I am communicating with local authorities to get all details of the attack and my office stands ready to help everyone affected any way we can."

4:07 a.m. ET, April 16, 2021

At least eight dead in "mass casualty situation"

The scene outside a FedEx facility after a shooting in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 16. WISH

Law enforcement were informed of a "mass casualty situation" at a FedEx facility located at 8951 Mirabel Road in Indianapolis late Thursday night.

Two employees inside the building at the time told CNN affiliate WISH-TV that they heard as many as ten gunshots.

At first Jeremiah Miller and Timothy Boillat thought the sound was from a car, but after hearing more, Miller stood up and saw a man with a weapon, he told the station.

"After hearing the shootings I did see a body on the floor behind a vehicle," said Boillat.

The two men left the building and watched about 30 police cars arrive to respond, Boillat said.

Highway shut: The major nearby highway, the I-70, was closed in both direction between I-465 and the Ronald Reagan Parkway due to the police activity, according to Indiana State Police Sgt. John Perrine. "Please seek alternate routes," he tweeted.

The highway was reopened, although there remains no access to Ameriplex Parkway from either direction, he later tweeted.

3:34 a.m. ET, April 16, 2021

FedEx is working with authorities, spokesperson says

In a statement, FedEx said it was aware of the "tragic shooting" at the Indianapolis facility.

"Safety is our top priority, and our thoughts are with all those who are affected. We are working to gather more information and are cooperating with investigating authorities," company spokesperson Jim Masilak said in an email to CNN.