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Elisjsha Dicken was recently identified as the armed civilian who killed the Greenwood Park Mall shooter Jonathan Sapirman during a massacre on Sunday, July 17. The 22-year-old has since been dubbed as a “Good Samaritan” and largely praised online.
Although the tragic shooting left three innocent people dead, authorities believe that Dicken’s actions prevented further threats and helped save the lives of other civilians. Greenwood Police Chief James Ison also lauded the youngster during a press conference on Monday as he stated:
“Many more people would have died last night if not for a responsible armed citizen who took action within the first two minutes of this shooting.”
Officials have also revealed that Dicken was visiting the mall with his girlfriend during the attack and legally carried a gun under Indiana’s “constitutional carry” rule. He reportedly surrendered to security officials following the shootout and agreed to cooperate with the investigation.
In the wake of the incident, a GoFundMe page has been launched to support Elisjsha Dicken’s “legal and financial” fees. The campaign has already raised more than $12,000 at the time of writing this article.
Netizens praise Elisjsha Dicken following Greenwood Park Mall shooting
On July 17, heavily armed gunman Jonathan Douglas Sapirman walked into Indiana’s Greenwood Park Mall and fired 24 rounds from an AR-15-style rifle, leaving three dead and two others wounded.
However, the shooter was then neutralized by armed civilian Elisjsha Dicken within 15 seconds of the attack. In the aftermath of the incident, Dicken has been hailed online as the “Greenwood Good Samaritan” and an “American Hero” for his bravery and actions.
As reactions continued to pour in online, Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers shared that the “city, community, and state” is grateful for Dicken’s “heroism in this situation.”
Everything to know about Elisjsha Dicken
Elisjsha Dicken is a 22-year-old man from Seymour, Indiana, who has been dubbed the “heroic good Samaritan of the Greenwood mall shooting” and a “true American hero” by attorney Guy Relford.
He recently made news for neutralizing the Greenwood Park Mall shooter during a mass shooting incident earlier this week. Not much is known about Dicken’s personal life, but as per his Facebook profile, he reportedly lived in Columbus, Indiana, and attended CSA New Tech High School until 2018.
Dicken was shopping at the Greenwood mall with his 19-year-old girlfriend Shay Goldman when the mass shooting unfolded. He was reportedly carrying a 9-millimeter Glock pistol, which is legal as per Indiana’s “constitutional carry” bill.
Nearly two minutes into the shooting, Dicken drew out his pistol and fatally shot the attacker. Greenwood Police Chief James Ison said his actions were “nothing short of heroic.”
He also mentioned that Dicken “engaged the gunman from quite a distance with a handgun” and called him “tactically sound”, despite having “no police training and no military background.”
The “Good Samaritan” also asked civilians to exit behind him as he approached the gunman before shooting him to death. Following the shooting, Dicken was praised by his girlfriend’s family.
Shay Goldman’s grandmother told 13News that she was very proud of her granddaughter’s boyfriend:
“I just know that I'm so proud of him for what he's done. He saved my granddaughter. I know he did.”
She also expressed her gratitude towards Dicken for saving her granddaughter and other lives that were saved, amidst the massacre:
“She said on the phone when she called me, 'Grandma, I'm OK. That Eli pushed me out of the way and told me to get down and stay down,' and everybody should be proud of him for what he's done because if not, there would have been a lot more.”
Elisjsha Dicken is being represented by lawyer Guy A. Relford, who said he is proud to represent the “American hero”:
“I am proud to serve as Eli Dicken's attorney and spokesperson. 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.”
Dicken has also earned praise from law enforcement authorities and was referred to as a “good guy with a gun” by the National Rifle Association.
