The man who shot and killed the Greenwood Park Mall shooter was identified as Elijsha Dicken, 22, of Seymour. He was shopping in the mall with his girlfriend when he engaged shooter Jonathan Sapirman, of Greenwood.
Greenwood Police Chief Jim Ison described Dicken’s actions as heroic, saying the engagement was “tactically sound,” though, as far as police know, Dicken had no police training.
“We could not find where he had a permit.” He was carrying legally under the Constitutional carry law,” said Ison.
The names of the people killed in the shooting are Pedro Pineda, 56, of Indianapolis; Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda, 37, of Indianapolis; and Victor Gomez, 30, of Indianapolis. Ison said that Pedro Pineda and Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda were husband and wife.
The shooter was a 20-year-old white male, though the FBI pointed out that mass shooters do not necessarily fit any particular profile.
Sapirman was recently laid off from a warehouse job. He did not drive and police believe he walked to the mall. He may have also recently been served with an eviction notice. Police are working to confirm that. Ison said they found a laptop in the oven of Sapirman’s apartment when it was searched. The oven was on. The laptop is being sent to an FBI facility for analysis.
Dicken was able to kill Spairman by shooting him several times at 5:57 p.m., just after Sapirman started shooting. He had been in the mall restroom for over an hour before he came out and shot his first victim near the restroom door with a rifle, before going into the food court and shooting several more people.
Sapirman tried to retreat back into the restroom, but fell dead from Dicken’s bullets, which were recovered, along with rounds shot by the shooter.
“Right now we have no motive,” said Ison at a Monday press conference. He said the shooter left behind a cell phone, but it was wet. They are trying to dry it out to extract information.
“We’re very thankful to a young 22-year-old man who stopped this violent act,” said Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers. “This young man, Greenwood’s Good Samaritan, acted within seconds, saving countless lives.”
Dicken was put in cuffs when police arrived. He was taken to the station where police corroborated his statements with video from the mall. Ison said he had seen the video, but that it would not be released to the public because it was graphic.
Ison said Sapirman had a backpack and a holster, but it is still not clear why he was in the restroom for over an hour.
