By: Friedrich Seiltgen
Copyright © 2022
On Sunday July 17th at approximately 1800 hours, an active shooter, later identified as 20-year-old Johnathan Douglas Sapirman, entered the Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, Indiana armed with a rifle and extra magazines. Sapirman went straight to the restroom near the food court area. He stayed there for over an hour before he exited and started his shooting rampage. He murdered three people and injured two others. Displaying how the 2nd amendment works, an armed citizen shot and killed Sapirman!
The “Good Samaritan,” as Greenwood Police Chief Jim Ison called him, was identified as Elisjsha Dicken, a 22-year-old man from Seymour, Indiana who is cooperating with the investigation. Dicken, armed with a legal-carry pistol, was in the mall shopping with his girlfriend. Dicken chose to intervene when he heard the shooter start his rampage. Within two minutes Dicken tracked down Sapirman and fired ten rounds, putting him down. Police say that Sapirman fired a total of twenty-four rounds before being killed by Dicken. Sapirman attempted to retreat to the same restroom near the food court, but he collapsed.
Dicken has been praised for his quick reaction and is being hailed as a “hero.” During Monday’s press conference, Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers added to the praise by stating the following:
“We’re very thankful for a young 22-year-old man, who stopped this violent act. This young man, Greenwood’s good Samaritan, acted within seconds, stopping the shooter, and saving countless lives,” Myers said . “Our city, our community and our state is grateful for his heroism in this situation.”
The Johnson County Coroner, Michael Pruitt, identified the shooting victims that were killed as Victor Gomez, 30, Rosa Rivera de Pineda, 37, and Pedro Pineda, 56. The two injured by gunfire were identified as a 20-year-old female who was shot in the leg and a 12-year-old female who initially went home, but then complained to her parents that her back was “itching.” She was taken to the hospital and treated for a minor bullet wound.
A search of Sapirman also found a Glock pistol with 100 rounds of Ammunition. No motive has been established for the shooting yet.
That’s all for now folks! Please keep sending in your questions, tips, and article ideas. And as always – “Let’s Be Careful Out There”
Friedrich Seiltgen is a retired Master Police Officer with 20 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. He conducts training in Lone Wolf Terrorism, Firearms and Active Shooter Response. His writing has appeared in RECOIL, The Counter Terrorist Magazine, American Thinker, Homeland Security Today, and The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International. Contact him at [email protected]