The suspected gunman in this week's mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis legally purchased two assault rifles believed to have been used in the attack, police said late Saturday.
Of note: The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's statement that Brandon Scott Hole, 19, bought the rifles last July and September comes a day after the FBI said in a statement to news outlets that a "shotgun was seized" from the suspect in March 2020 after his mother raised concerns about his mental health.
The big picture: Eight people died in Thursday night's shooting, including four members of the Indianapolis Sikh community, before the shooter killed himself.
What they're saying: Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Randal Taylor said the later purchases indicated authorities hadn't deemed Hole subject to Indiana's "red flag" legislation, which prevents people from possessing a firearm if a judge finds them to be a "dangerous risk from," per the New York Times.
- Taylor told the Times he wasn't sure if there was a hearing over March's incident despite police not returning the seized gun.
- "I don’t know how we held onto it, but it's good that we did," Taylor added, noting Hole then legally purchased "a much more powerful weapon than a shotgun."
For the record: Indiana is one of several states to have adopted "red flag" gun laws since a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in 2018.