What we know about the armed bystander who killed the shooter at an Indiana mall

Wearing shorts and a T-shirt, Elisjsha Dicken was shopping with his girlfriend at Greenwood Park Mall. Moments later, a shooter opened fire at the food court, killing three people and injuring two more.

Dicken responded quickly. Armed with a legally carried Glock handgun, he engaged the shooter from a distance. Within two minutes, he stopped the attack.

The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Douglas Sapirman, fired 24 rounds using an AR-15-style rifle, according to police. Dicken’s swift action prevented further casualties, Greenwood Police Chief James Ison said Monday.

“Many more people would have died last night,” Ison stated, “if not for a responsible armed citizen who acted quickly.”

Among those saved was Dicken’s 19-year-old girlfriend. Her grandmother said the young man pushed her out of the line of fire.

“‘Eli pushed me out of the way and told me to get down and stay down,’” the woman quoted her granddaughter as saying.

“Everybody should be proud of him,” she added. “If not, there would have been a lot more [victims].”

The attack began when Sapirman emerged from a restroom area and started shooting into the food court. Dicken returned fire from a considerable distance.

“He was very proficient, very tactically sound,” Ison said. “He moved forward and motioned for people to leave behind him.”

Alison Dick, whose 12-year-old daughter was injured in the attack, posted on Facebook. “He’s a superhero,” she said.

According to Ison, Dicken had no police or military training. Instead, his grandfather taught him to shoot.

Experts say such bystander interventions are rare.

The Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) at Texas State University found 434 active shooter attacks in the U.S. between 2000 and 2021. In only 22 of those cases did an armed bystander shoot the attacker.

Of those 22 incidents, 10 involved security guards or off-duty police officers.

These cases can carry risks. Armed civilians may be mistaken for the attacker. In 2021, a bystander in Arvada, Colorado, stopped a gunman but was fatally shot by police who misidentified him.

After the Greenwood shooting, Dicken approached mall security and identified himself as the one who stopped the attacker. He stayed on site and waited for police.

“He cooperated fully,” Ison said. “His story matched video evidence.”

Few personal details have been released about Dicken. His lawyer asked for privacy as the family processes the event.

“Because we want to respect the ongoing investigation and honor the lives lost,” said attorney Guy Relford, “we won’t comment further until the case is closed.”

Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers called Dicken a Good Samaritan. “He acted within seconds, stopping the shooter and saving countless lives,” Myers said. “Our city and state are grateful.”

“He’s a young man processing a lot,” Myers added. “Please give him space and time.”

Authorities continue to investigate the motives behind the shooting and how Sapirman obtained the weapon.

Meanwhile, the community honors the three people killed and praises Dicken’s actions as nothing short of heroic.

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