The hero of the Indiana mall shooting returned fire and fatally struck gunman Jonathan Sapirman just 15 seconds after the carnage began — not 2 minutes, it was revealed on Tuesday.
Armed bystander Elisjsha Dicken potentially saved countless lives when he opened fire on Sapirman in the Greenwood Park Mall just moments after the gunman stepped out of a bathroom, police clarified in a statement.
Greenwood Police Chief James Ison had originally said the good Samaritan opened fire after two minutes.
“This error was simply a result of misreading notes during the [press] conference,” Ison said Tuesday. “I feel the need to correct this immediately.”
Sapirman killed three people. A husband and wife from Indianapolis — Pedro Pineda, 56, and Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda, 37 — as well as Victor Gomez, 30, were identified as dead.
Police said Monday that Dicken fired at Sapirman from a distance, firing 10 rounds from a handgun after Sapirman emerged from a restroom with a rifle and opened fire on people at a nearby food court. The gunman fired 24 times in 15 seconds. The gunman attempted to retreat into the bathroom to take cover, but was struck by Dicken’s bullets and fell to the floor.
Sapirman ultimately died from his wounds.
22-year-old Elisjsha Dicken neutralized the Greenwood Park Mall shooter within 15 seconds, from 40-50 yards away, hitting the bad guy with 8 of the 10 rounds he fired. His grandfather taught him how to shoot.
Raise a glass this evening to American hero Elisjsha Dicken. pic.twitter.com/cuczbGsDem
— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) July 20, 2022
A lawyer for Dicken said Monday that his client wouldn’t be making any comments until police had completed their investigation.
“Because we want to respect the on-going criminal investigation by the Greenwood Police Department and take time to honor the three innocent lives lost, we won’t be making any substantive comments on Sunday’s events until after the authorities’ investigation is closed,” attorney Guy Relford said in a statement.
Relford, a firearms instructor and attorney whose practice focuses on second amendment issues, praised his client’s actions.
“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,” Relford said.
The gunman was armed with two rifles, a Glock pistol and more than 100 rounds of ammunition, police said.