At Sikh temples across Indianapolis, members gathered Saturday to mourn, pray and reflect on the circumstances of the shooting. Many of them described the victims from their community as hard workers, dedicated to their families and committed to their faith, which is known for its tradition of service, including supporting victims of natural disasters and organizing food drives during the coronavirus pandemic.
Many Sikhs were among the 875 employees at FedEx’s 300,000-square foot sorting facility near Indianapolis International Airport where parcels are whisked away into an automated system where they are digitally scanned, weighed and measured, shuttled around by conveyor belt and sorted. A current job posting for package handlers at the facility promises up to $17 per hour.
Jaswinder Singh, a new hire at FedEx who was excited to receive his first paycheck, was a daily presence at a temple in Greenwood, just outside Indianapolis, where he would cut vegetables for temple visitors, mop the floors, and serve food. He sometimes stopped by the temple before heading to work.
“He was a simple man,” said Harjap Singh Dillon, whose sister was married to one of Jaswinder Singh’s sons. “He used to pray and meditate a lot, and he did community service.”
Jigna Shah, who got to know Ms. Sekhon through their temple, said her friend was a regular at Sikh services, where she prepared lentils and served food to visitors. “She was a very sweet person,” Ms. Shah said. “She was like an aunt to our family.”
Rimpi Girn said Ms. Sekhon, her aunt, had moved to Indiana from Ohio to be closer to family. Ms. Sekhon began working at FedEx about six months ago on an overnight shift from 11 p.m. to 11 a.m., Ms. Girn said, and had two sons, ages 14 and 19.
“We can’t even think of what to tell him,” Ms. Girn said of the younger son. “All of a sudden last night, his mom went to work, and she never came back today.”