Good Samaritan who stopped Ind. mall shooting identified


A customer checks a door on the closed Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, Ind., Monday, July 18, 2022. The mall was closed Monday after police say three people were fatally shot and two were injured, including a 12-year-old girl, after a man with a rifle opened fire in a food court and an armed civilian shot and killed him. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

A customer checks a door on the closed Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, Ind., Monday, July 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

OAN NEWSROOM
UPDATED 3:49 PM PT – Monday, July 18, 2022

Police identified those involved in the mall shooting in Greenwood, Indiana. During a press conference Monday, officers released the names of the three victims who were shot and killed Sunday night.

A husband and wife, Pedro Pineda and Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda were 56 and 37 respectively. The third victim was a 30-year-old named Victor Gomez. The gunman was reportedly 20-years-old. He was stopped by a good Samaritan who has now been identified as 22-year-old Elisjsha Dicken who is cooperating fully with authorities. The gunman opened fire in the food court which sent shoppers running for their lives.

“So we were in the food court and we heard loud gun shots,” said witness Heather Arthur.

Chris Roy, assistant manager of the mall’s Van’s shoe store was working Sunday when he saw people running through the hallway away from the food court just before closing.

“I jumped over the counter, locked the door, gathered my associates and other managers at the back door,” stated Roy.

Through the back door they huddled in an interior hallway with about 40 or 50 other people, mostly customers from other stores, he claimed. That hallway didn’t have an exterior exit so they waited for police to come clear them.

“We just instructed everybody to keep quiet,” he voiced.

Two people were injured, including a 12-year-old girl. Both of the injured victims are hospitalized in stable condition. The shooter was shot and killed by Dicken. Authorities described him as “a good Samaritan with a handgun.” Dicken was able to neutralize the gunman within two minutes after the gunman had already fired 24 rounds from his rifle. Dicken fired 10 shots from his Glock handgun.

“His actions were nothing short of heroic,” voiced Greenwood Police Chief Jason Ison. “He engaged the gunman from quite a distance with a handgun. He was very proficient in that, very tactically sound and as he moved to close in on the suspect he was also motioning for people to exit behind him. Many more people would have died last night if not for a responsible armed citizen that took action very quickly within the first two minutes of the shooting.”

First responders assisted the injured and law enforcement worked to secure the scene. Greenwood Mayor Mark W. Myers also thanked the Dicken’s for his heroism. He also said the tragedy hits the core of the community and he encouraged residents to pray for the victims and first responders.

Police said to their knowledge Dicken has no military or police training. There have been more than 350 mass shootings this year, according to Gun Violence Archive.

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