U.S. Representatives Grace Meng (NY-06), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), André Carson (IN-07), and Judy Chu (CA-28), CAPAC Chair Emerita, are introducing legislation recognizing five years since a tragic mass shooting took the lives of eight employees at a FedEx Ground facility in Indianapolis, Indiana. The facility’s workforce was nearly 90 percent of Sikh descent, a press release April 15, 2026, said.
Those killed included Matthew Alexander, Samaria Blackwell, Amarjeet Johal, Jasvinder Kaur, Amarjit Sekhon, Jaswinder Singh, Karli Smith, and John Weisert. Seven other workers in the facility were injured.
“Five years ago today, a gunman murdered eight innocent people, including four members of the Sikh community, at a FedEx warehouse in Indianapolis. This horrific tragedy shocked our nation and remains a painful reminder of the hate and violence that Sikhs continue to experience to this day,” Rep. Meng said. “As we mourn those we lost, we must honor their memories by taking action to protect South Asian communities and end gun violence. That includes enacting commonsense gun safety legislation and standing up to the Trump administration’s actions to defund hate crime prevention services,” Meng added.
The other lawmakers echoed these sentiments.
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Jayapal said, “Today we remember and honor their lives, and recommit ourselves to a world that is more just and safe for all communities.”
“Indianapolis cannot forget the violent attack against our community on April 15, 2021. Eight Hoosiers were murdered at their jobs, including four members of the Sikh community,” said Carson. “I am honored to co-lead this resolution to commemorate these eight lives, and to fight against the hate and prejudice that caused this senseless loss of life.” He urged the House to pass the resolution.
“The April 2021 mass shooting in Indianapolis was a striking act of violence, deeply affecting Sikhs and the broader AANHPI community,” said Rep. Chu. “On this anniversary, and especially in the face of rising racial targeting in our country, it is critical that we strengthen our commitment to ensuring all immigrants receive protection against discrimination and bigotry.”
This resolution marked the fifth anniversary of the April 15, 2021, tragedy by:
- Condemning the heinous act of gun violence on that day;
- Honoring the memory of the eight victims and offering heartfelt condolences to their loved ones;
- Condemning acts of discrimination and bigotry, white supremacist rhetoric, and the Trump Administration’s crackdown on immigrant communities;
- Calling for the restoration and expansion of hate crime prevention programs in the Department of Justice;
- Calling on the Trump Administration to reverse its anti-immigrant policies; and
- Reaffirming the commitment of the federal government to protect civil and human rights.
“U.S.-based Sikhs have often been stigmatized and targeted because of their visible articles of faith and other aspects of their intersectional identities,” the lawmakers noted in the press release. “Sikh immigrant truck drivers have been scapegoated for “stealing” American jobs and posing a risk to road safety despite a lack of evidence for such claims,” they added.
The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy organization also commented on the incident.
“There was a complex and frustrating aftermath for this tragedy; local and federal law enforcement officials investigated the shooting, but ultimately declined to categorize it as a hate crime,” noted Harman Singh, Executive Director, The Sikh Coalition. “While this question of motive still remains unsettled for many in the local and national Sikh community, the importance of commemoration remains,” said Singh.
Kiran Kaur Gil, executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defense And Education Fund, SALDEF, thanked Jayapal for introducing the resolution adding, “We deeply appreciate her recognition of the profound impact this tragedy had on the Indianapolis community, as well as on the Sikh American community both locally and nationally,” Gil said.
“This resolution is about remembrance, dignity, and accountability. When people use political rhetoric to target immigrants and Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian communities, the harm becomes real—it shows up in violence, in policy, in daily fear. Honoring those we lost means standing against the forces that continue to endanger our communities today,” said Sim J. Singh Attariwala, director of Anti-Hate Program, Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
Manjusha Kulkarni, co-director and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, recalled the incident as a “painful” memory, and thanked Jayapal and others for condemning anti-Asian hate. “Today, the rising tide of racist rhetoric and anti-immigrant policies continues to target Sikh and South Asian communities. Our research shows that South Asian people are pulling back from social and civic life — and even making plans to leave the United States — out of fear for their safety, Kulkarni said.
The resolution is also sponsored by Suzan K. DelBene (WA-01), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Darren Soto (FL-09), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), and Mike Thompson (CA-04).
Numerous Indian American and Asian American organizations also condemned the incident.