Gunman who fatally shot 3 in US mall killed by armed bystander
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INDIANA (NYTIMES) - Four people were killed at a mall in Greenwood, Indiana, in a mass shooting. Among the dead was the gunman who was shot by an armed individual, city authorities said.
Two additional people were hospitalized in the shooting, which began when a man with a rifle and several magazines of ammunition entered the mall’s food court and started firing, Greenwood Police Chief Jim Ison said.
Authorities did not indicate a motive for the shooting and did not identify the gunman.
The injured included a 12-year-old girl who suffered a very minor wound on her back and another person who was in stable condition, Mr Ison said.
The injured included a 12-year-old girl who suffered a very minor wound on her back and another person who was in stable condition, Mr Ison said.
Mayor Mark Myers said late Sunday (July 17) that the public faced no further threat and that the Greenwood Police Department was in control of the scene. He asked the public to stay away from the area.
Mr Ison said: “I’ve been a police officer most of my life. Still, this is incredibly shocking, to not only me but our entire community.”
Mr Ison said: “I’ve been a police officer most of my life. Still, this is incredibly shocking, to not only me but our entire community.”
He said that the local emergency call centre began to receive calls about the shooting in the food court around 6pm on Sunday.
He identified the passerby who shot the gunman only as a 22-year-old man from Bartholomew County, adding that he was lawfully carrying a gun.
In a statement, Mr Myers praised the man’s actions.
“Someone we are calling the ‘good Samaritan’ was able to shoot the assailant and stop further bloodshed,” Mr Myers said.
“I am grateful for his quick action and heroism in this situation.”
Mr Ison had said investigators and other personnel would not process the crime scene at the mall until a state bomb squad could determine whether a “suspicious” backpack that was left in a mall bathroom was dangerous.
Late Sunday, he said that investigators had not found an explosive device and that they had cleared the backpack.
Police said on Facebook that they were seeking witnesses to the shooting.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said on Twitter that it was helping local authorities and urged people to avoid the area.
It said multiple agencies were working to clear the mall.
It said multiple agencies were working to clear the mall.
