A gunman who fatally shot three people and injured two others was shot dead by an armed civilian in an Indiana mall Sunday evening.
According to Greenwood Police Department Chief Jim Ison, the gunman opened fire inside the food court of Greenwood Park Mall. He used a rifle in the attack and carried several magazines of ammunition with him. After letting off several rounds, the shooter was shot dead by an armed civilian.
The Johnson County Coroner's Office confirmed Monday morning that one woman and three men were among those fatally shot on Sunday. The woman was pronounced dead at Eskenazi Hospital, one man died at St. Francis Hospital, and two men, one of which was the shooter, were pronounced dead at Greenwood Park Mall, the Indianapolis Star reports.
According to the Associated Press, Ison shared that a 12-year-old girl was among the two injured. Both injured victims remain in stable condition.
During a news conference on Sunday, Ison confirmed that a 22-yr-old man from nearby Bartholomew County who was lawfully armed shot the gunman dead. Police arrived at the mall at around 6 p.m. in response to reports of the shooting.
"The real hero of the day is the citizen that was lawfully carrying a firearm in that food court and was able to stop the shooter almost as soon as he began," Ison said.
Police also discovered a suspicious backpack that was inside a bathroom near the food court.
The shooting at the Greenwood Park Mall is the latest in a string of mass shootings across the United States that have made national headlines.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police is working with multiple other agencies in the investigation. Authorities said that there was no other threat to the area Sunday night.
"We are sickened by yet another type of incident like this in our country," Indianapolis Assistant Chief of Police Chris Bailey said.
In a statement by Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers, he asked for "prayers to the victims and our first responders."
"This tragedy hits at the core of our community," he said.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Douglas Sacha
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
