A psychopath had grand plans to shoot up a mall in Greenwood, Indiana. He even got away with it for about two minutes. But now he’s dead.
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The world can thank bystander Elisjsha Dicken for that. The 22-year old was also armed while at the mall with his girlfriend. Dicken noticed what was happening with the gunman, then pulled out his own weapon and unloaded. The act saved lives.
“He engaged the gunman from quite a distance with a handgun, 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,” Greenwood Police Department Chief Jim Ison said at a news conference, where he described surveillance video footage of the shooting.
Ison then went on to accurately describe Dicken’s actions as “nothing short of heroic.”
Sadly, three people were killed and two others injured before Dicken was able to save the day.
“When the gunman entered the mall just before 5 p.m., Chief Ison said, he walked directly to the food court’s bathroom, spending about an hour inside before exiting and taking aim at dozens of people eating dinner,” the New York Times reported. “Two minutes later, Mr. Dicken fatally shot the gunman.”
Dicken was initially handcuffed and taken away by police following the incident. His description of the events matched security camera footage, and he was soon released. He will not be charged with any crime. Just the opposite.
“He’s a young man processing a lot,” Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers said. “I ask that you give him space and time to be able to process what he’s gone through.
“This young man, Greenwood’s good Samaritan, acted within seconds, stopping the shooter and saving countless lives.”