INDIANAPOLIS--The shooter is dead, having killed himself as the police arrived at the FedEx ground facility, Thursday night. So, no one is left to be held directly accountable for the shooting. But, law enforcement officers are likely sifting through the evidence they’ve taken through their searches to determine who may also be responsible.
“Could anyone have prevented this? Did anyone provide a weapon, perhaps the weapon used to commit the shooting?” asked Indiana University Maurer School of Law Prof. Jody Madeira. “If that is the case then they look at did this individual know that Hole was barred from having firearms. For example, was this person involved in the mental health calls?”
LISTEN: Prof. Jody Madeira talks justice for FedEx victims and families.
Brandon Hole had a gun taken from him during a mental health visit in 2020.
Madeira said police are likely examining electronics for communications about how he might have obtained the gun used in the shooting. She said criminal or civil liability could result if someone who knew about his prevented status provided him with a gun.
“A private sale would not have caught that,” she said.
She said is someone did know about that status and provided him with a weapon, or if they suspected he might do himself or others harm, and it is proven, the penalties could be severe.
For the families of victims and for the people who were wounded, there is little real justice to be obtained.
“There is no one that directly can be held accountable. But, yet there is still a profound need for victim advocates, for the criminal justice system to reach out, to support them, to provide them with mental health resources, to keep them apprised of what they are finding and to help them move forward.”
Madeira said every person will have their personal view of what justice is.
“When you have a mass shooting in which the shooter commits suicide in the end, there is a form of accountability that can never be obtained. In some ways that leaves the peace because you will never have to face a criminal sentence that you might feel is insufficient and you will not have to go through years of criminal trials and appeals.”
She said justice, for some victims of other shootings, has meant working to prevent more shootings.
“I believe that is trying to change gun laws so that it is still harder for individuals that are like Hole, who shouldn’t have weapons, to obtain a firearm.”
