Police have identified the good Samaritan who brought down mall shooter Jonathan Sapirman, who killed three people at an Indiana shopping centre on Sunday (17 July).
Sapirman, 20, was shot dead after opening fire at Greenwood Park Mall using a military-style Sig Sauer.
Elisjsha Dicken, 22, had been shopping with his girlfriend when the attack took place, and fired at Sapirman using a concealed pistol he was lawfully carrying, gesturing to other shoppers to flee behind him as he engaged the suspect.
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In a press conference yesterday (18 July), Greenwood Police Chief Jim Ison said Dicken had shown ‘proficient’ and ‘sound’ tactics while shooting at Sapirman from ‘quite a distance’, despite having no military or law enforcement training.
"Many more people would've died last night if not for a responsible armed citizen that took action very quickly within the first two minutes of the shooting,” Ison said, adding: "I will say his actions were nothing short of heroic.”
Dicken was initially handcuffed and questioned by police, before his story of what really happened was confirmed by CCTV footage, which showed him calmly gesturing to crowds to evacuate.
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Ison said Dicken now needed ‘space and time to process what he’s gone through’, calling for restraint from the media.
The police chief also revealed that Sapirman was a local resident who lived alone, having quit his warehouse job in May and had recently been evicted.
He had no criminal history as an adult, but had a juvenile record that included a fight at school and a runaway incident.
Three people were killed in the shooting: husband and wife Pedro Pineda, 56, and Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda, 37, and Victor Gomez, 30.
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Ison said two other people were also wounded.
Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers also praised Dicken's brave actions, saying: "Our city, our community and our state is grateful for his heroism in this situation.
"He's a young man processing a lot. I ask that you give him space and time to be able to process what he's gone through last night."
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Dicken's lawyer Guy Relford said things could have been much ‘worse’ if it wasn’t for his client’s heroism.
“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,” he said.
Relford declined to comment further out of respect for the victims and ongoing the police investigation.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Topics: US News
Jess Hardiman