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The 22-year-old that shot and killed a would-be mass shooter at the Indiana Greenwood Park Mall was armed because of “constitutional carry.”
The hero of that day has been identified as Elisjsha Dicken.
The shooting happened around 6 p.m. Sunday evening and four people were found dead, including the shooter.
Those killed are 56-year-old Pedro Pineda, his wife 37-year-old Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda, and 30-year-old Victor Gomez.
The shooter has been identified as 20-year-old Jonathan Douglas Sapirman.
Police said Sapirman had two rifles, a handgun, and several magazines of ammunition, but that he only used one of the rifles.
Police say he entered the all at 4:54 p.m. on July 17. He entered a bathroom at the food court and stayed in there for an hour and two minutes. He put his cellphone inside a toilet in the bathroom.
He left the bathroom and began opening fire at the people inside the mall.
However, Dicken was quick to act. He fired 10 rounds at Sapirman as Sapirman was trying to retreat, but Dicken hit him and he collapsed and died.
Dicken was carrying under the new “Constitutional Carry” law and didn’t have a permit. Police say he told them he had no military background and that his grandfather taught him how to shoot.
“This has shaken us to our core. This isn’t something we’ve seen in Greenwood before. It is absolutely horrendous,” Greenwood Police Chief Jim Ison said. He went on to say that they have trained for active shooter situations like this and he was proud of the response from law enforcement.
Ison also commended Dicken on his heroic actions.
“His actions were nothing short of heroic. He engaged the gunman from quite a distance with a handgun. Was very proficient in that, was tactically sound and as he moved to close in on the suspect, he was also motioning for people to exit behind him,” Ison said about Dicken’s actions.
“Many people would have died last night if not for a responsible armed citizen that took action very quickly within the first two minutes of this shooting.”
Dicken has not spoken with the media, but his attorney related a statement on Monday:
“I am proud to serve as Eli Dicken’s attorney and spokesperson. He is a true American hero who saved countless lives during a horrific event that could have been so much worse if not for Eli’s courage, preparedness and willingness to protect others. Because we want to respect the ongoing criminal investigation by the Greenwood Police Department and take time to honor the three innocent lives lost, we won’t be making any substantive comments on Sunday’s events until after the authorities’ investigation is closed. In the interim, we ask that you respect the privacy of Eli and his family.”
Let’s see if Biden gives him a Metal of honor?