Armed Bystander Saves The Day, Kills Gunman Who Shot Three Persons In Indiana Mall

A bystander saved more lives at a crowded mall on Sunday evening when a gunman opened fire in the food court of a shopping mall outside Indianapolis. The gunman had already killed three people and probably had plans to kill more before a bystander who “observed the shooting in progress,” fatally shot the assailant, media reported.

Shoppers and mall employees ran for safety at the sound of gunfire.

Two other people were injured in the incident, which took place in the early evening at Greenwood Park Mall, the Indianapolis Star reported, citing Greenwood Police Chief Jim Ison. The second injured victim was hospitalized and in stable condition as of Sunday evening, Ison said.

The police reported that the shooter was alone and had a rifle and several magazines of ammunition. Police did not release the names of the victims, gunman, or bystander but according to Investigators the unidentified gunman, an adult man, was shot and killed by a lawfully armed 22-year-old man.

The shootings occurred amid widespread concerns over the drumbeat of US shootings in schools, workplaces, and public areas that regularly make headlines. A spate of gun massacres since May at a New York grocery store, a Texas elementary school, and an Illinois Independence Day parade have renewed fierce US debate over gun regulations.

The US House Judiciary Committee will take up proposed legislation this week that would ban certain assault weapons, the panel said on Friday. It is not expected to pass the Senate.

“This has shaken us to our core. This isn’t something that we have seen here in Greenwood before. It is horrendous and our thoughts and prayers are with those loved ones hurting tonight,” the police chief said.

The Greenwood Police Department has trained for a mass shooting scenario and has performed “multiple mall exercises” to prepare for active shooter situations, he said.

“But I’m going to tell you, the real hero of the day is the citizen that was lawfully carrying a firearm in that food court and was able to stop this shooter almost as soon as he began,” Ison said.

It’s rare to have an armed bystander attack an active shooter, according to a data analysis published by The New York Times.