8 dead and others injured in shooting at a FedEx warehouse in Indianapolis. Police say the shooter killed himself.

• Eight people were fatally shot at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis on Thursday, authorities said.
• The police said the gunman appeared to have killed himself at the scene.
• Authorities have not yet released an identity or motive for the suspect.

Eight people were killed and several others were injured in a shooting at a FedEx facility near Indianapolis International Airport on Thursday night, the police said.

Officer Genae Cook of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said eight victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Five people were transported to the hospital, four with non-life-threatening injuries, and one more seriously injured who is now in stable condition, Deputy Chief Craig McCartt told the "Today" show.

Cook said "preliminary information" suggested the gunman killed himself. A suspect has not been named, and Cook said it was too early to tell whether the man was an employee at the facility, according to the Associated Press.

"We're still trying to ascertain the exact reason and cause for this incident," Cook added.

Authorities have not yet released the identities of any victims, saying in a Friday-morning statement they would do so "once proper next-of-kin notification has been made."

The first 911 call came in at 11:07 p.m., and by 11:23 p.m. the police radioed to say that they had found the suspected shooter dead, according to 911 audio obtained by WRTV. McCartt said security measures at the facility meant the shooter "did not get very far inside."

As of 1:20 a.m. on Friday, Cook said there was no active threat to the community.

In a statement shared with Insider, FedEx said it was cooperating with local authorities.

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of our team members following the tragic shooting at our FedEx Ground facility in Indianapolis," the company said. "Our most heartfelt sympathies are with all those affected by this senseless act of violence. The safety of our team members is our top priority, and we are fully cooperating with investigating authorities."

'He was firing in the open'

The shooter appeared to have targeted people both in the building and in the parking lot.

Parminder Singh told CBS 4 that his niece was in her car when the gunman shot her in the arm. He said his niece did not know who the shooter was.

A worker at the facility, identified as Levi Miller, told the "Today" show he was outside eating and preparing to start his second shift in a row when he heard gunshots.

He said he then saw a hooded man armed with what he called an "AR" gun, "shouting" and firing "at random." Miller appeared to be referencing an AR-15, a style of semiautomatic rifle.

Miller said he couldn't make out what the shooter was saying or what he looked like. At one point he said he feared that the man saw him, so he "immediately ducked for cover."

Miller said one of his friends witnessed another man who pulled a gun out of his trunk to try to engage the shooter and "died because of it."

Insider has not been able to independently verify this account. The names of the victims have not yet been released.

No phones at the workplace

According to current and former employees, FedEx has a policy of not allowing employees to have their phones on them at the workplace.

Instead, they are required to store phones in lockers during their shifts, which may have affected workers' ability to call for help during the shooting.

A representative for FedEx told Insider the company was reevaluating the policy.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department told family members of those working at the FedEx facility to report to a Holiday Inn at 8555 Stansted Road if they could not get in touch with their relatives. According to WISH, hundreds have gathered at the hotel to await word about their relatives.

Ashlee Floyd told The Indianapolis Star that she was still waiting to hear from her father, who she said had worked at the facility for two decades.

Floyd said her dad usually called her mom every night at about 11:30 p.m. On Thursday night, her mom got a voicemail from him, but he wasn't speaking on the call and hasn't responded to their calls since.

"I'm just worried about my father," Floyd said. "I don't know if he's OK. I don't know if he's injured. I don't know if he's gone. I'm just scared right now."

Cook, of the Indianapolis police, said people scheduled to work at the facility on Friday should get in touch with their managers, as the warehouse was expected to remain closed for several hours as detectives investigate.

A disturbing trend

This is Indianapolis' fifth mass shooting this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines mass shootings as attacks in which at least four people are shot.

It follows widely covered mass shootings last month in Atlanta and Boulder, Colorado.

"I am heartbroken by the mass shooting at the FedEx facility here in Indianapolis and praying for all affected by this tragedy," Rep. André Carson of Indiana's 7th District, which includes Indianapolis, tweeted.

"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."

In a Friday-morning tweet, Mayor Joe Hogsett of Indianapolis called the shooting "an act of violence that senselessly claimed the lives of eight of our neighbors," and thanked first responders for their "tireless work."