U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)-— Three victims and the murderer have been killed at the Greenwood Park Mall in Indiana at about 6 p.m., and two people were wounded.
The murderer was almost immediately shot and killed by an Armed Samaritan. The Armed Samaritan has been reported to be a 22-year-old man from Bartholomew County who has a valid permit to carry. He is believed to have been armed with a handgun. Greenwood Park Mall is on the South edge of the Indianapolis metropolitan area.
The make, model, and caliber(s) of the firearms involved have not been released at this time.
A spokesman for the Greenwood Police Department said the responding agencies got there very quickly. They had trained intensively for this scenario.
But, he said, the real hero was the Armed Samaritan who stopped the mass murder just as it was getting started.
From the video of Greenwood Police Department spokesman:
 “I am going to tell you the real hero of the day is the citizen that was lawfully carrying firearms in that food court and was able to stop this shooting almost as soon as it began.”
Details of the mass murder and the fast response by an Armed Samaritan are still emerging. From Fox59.com:
The Greenwood Police Department confirmed Sunday that a lone shooter, believed to be an adult male, entered the food court of the mall around 6 p.m. with a rifle and several magazines of ammo. The suspect then shot into the mall, killing three people and injuring two more.
GPD also confirmed Sunday that the shooter was shot and killed by a Good Samaritan who was armed with a handgun. The man who shot the suspect, identified as a 22-year-old from Bartholomew County, had a legal gun permit and is fully cooperating with police.
Link to video of Greenwood Police press interview
A quick search of the Internet for Greenwood Park mall did not find any policies restricting the carry of firearms on the premises. A quick google maps survey of entrance doors to the mall did not reveal any obvious signage restricting firearms. It is always possible small, inconspicuous signs could be missed.
At first examination, it appears Greenwood Park mall is not a gun-free zone. This confirms what the Greenwood Police Department stated. The Armed Samaritan was not violating any laws.
Based on the recent law passed in New York State, the Armed Samaritan would almost certainly have been banned from a mall there.
Indiana passed a Constitutional Carry bill in 2022. It went into effect on July 1, 2022. In Indiana, no permit is required to carry a firearm in public places, openly or concealed, as long as the carrier may legally possess the firearm.
Opinion:
While we cannot know how many lives were saved by the Armed Samaritan, the police appear to believe many were saved. This validates the wisdom of a dispersed, armed populace, which can react to a mass murder much faster than the police.
The responder does not need to be Wyatt Earp. They just need to be where they are needed and have the will to respond. Armed Samaritans have the great advantage of being inside the event rather than coming to it and having to determine what is happening minutes into the event.
When seconds are lives lost, police are only minutes away.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
“A spokesman for the Greenwood Police Department said the responding agencies got there very quickly. They had trained intensively for this scenario.” BUT.. not quickly enough! No LEO can ever beat the potential victims to the scene, because the potential victims are ALREADY there. As always, each of us is our own first responder. The way it should work, is that each of us handles our own emergencies, and the police and firemen and EMTs just show up after the fact to clean up the mess. It would require many, many less “official” employees, saving resources, and also greatly reduce… Read more »
You’re certainly right. Which is why this story is going to be buried as fast as news editors can grab a shovel! Note: Mall food courts are popular loitering spots for black “teens”. And if the attacker was from that crowd [like probably] this story will be buried even faster!
The mall is a Simon property, and they prohibit firearms and have notices on all the doors. Signs have no wight of law in Indiana. I don’t obey them either. If they find it and ask you to leave you leave or can be charged with trespassing.
https://fox59.com/news/good-samaritan-with-a-gun-stopped-greenwood-park-mall-shooting-went-against-malls-code-of-conduct/
More people have died because of these gun free zones.
THIS IS WHY YOU STAY STRAPPED, SO YOU DON’T GET CLAPPED!
CNBC had headline ‘mall shooter gunned down by armed shopper’ or something to the effect of.
State and federal laws irrespective, there is no Mall that permits firearms. Because in the defect liberal brain, there is NO firearm, and there is NO shooting that’s defensive.
From the view of the democrat communist party: That damn concealed carrier RUINED a perfectly good OPPORTUNITY to ban “ASSAULT WEAPONS”! The democrats know they are gonna get slaughtered in Nov. They have very little time to take our rifles – AND THEY REALLY-REALLY WANNA TAKE OUR RIFLES! (And magazines) So could it really be a coincidence that all of a sudden every MK ULTRA type misfit is triggered to commit a mass shooting with an AR15? I say it’s radical left wing terrorism to force CITIZEN DISARMAMENT before the election . . . but maybe that’s just me being… Read more »