Good Samaritan Stops Shooter in Crowded Indiana Shopping Mall

According to police reports, an armed citizen stepped in and thwarted an active shooter who was terrorizing the people in an Indiana shopping mall. The incident took place in the mall's food court, located south of Indianapolis, on Sunday.

What are the details?

Law enforcement officers revealed that a man got inside the Greenwood Park Mall. This happened early Sunday evening, and the man was armed with a rifle. He also had multiple magazines of ammunition. He proceeded to walk to the food court, and once he got there, he opened fire, according to The Blaze.

The suspect shot five people. Three of the victims were killed in the incident, and two of them were wounded.

The incident could have taken many more lives, but a quick-thinking citizen decided to prevent any other loss of life. The 22-year-old man took out his own firearm. He shot down the perpetrator immediately.

The Good Samaritan was praised by officials, but he only wished to be identified by his age and the place where he lived. His name will not be made public.

"The hero of the day was the citizen that was lawfully carrying a firearm which could stop the assailant as soon as he began," police Chief Jim Ison from Greenwood said.

The citizen was commended for his bravery and for his swift actions in stopping the assailant. The city mayor also insisted on thanking him publicly for his outstanding courage and determination.

"We know someone we are calling the 'Good Samaritan' was able to shoot the assailant and stop further bloodshed. This person saved lives tonight. On behalf of Greenwood, I am grateful for his quick action and heroism in this situation," Mark Myers, Greenwood mayor, said.

Officers have yet to determine the motive behind this sudden attack. So far, police have stated that there was no clear indication that the assailant knew any of his victims, based on a report by NBC News.

Officers got the report about the gunfire at about 6 p.m., and the chief gave no indication about the attack being personal at all. When they arrived on the scene, officers and the SWAT team from the Indianapolis department went through the mall to make sure no one else was injured or hiding and in need of assistance.

Police have also located a backpack in a bathroom that was left behind by the gunman. The backpack turned out not to be a threat.

"We grieve for the victims of yesterday's horrific tragedy in Greenwood. Violence has got no place in this or any other community," representatives of the Greenwood Park Mall said, condemning the shocking attack.

What else happened?

This tragedy has also been used in the polemic concerning the Second Amendment.

"I don't know who needs to hear this, but when a 22-year-old illegally brings a loaded gun into a mall and kills a mass shooter armed with an AR-15 after he already killed three people and wounded others is not a ringing endorsement of our implementation of the Second Amendment," Shannon Watts, who is the founder of Moms Demand Action, a gun control group, expressed about the situation.

"The Second Amendment is why Greenwood Park Mall had a mass shooting in the first place," was actor John Fugelsang's social media post about what happened at the mall in Indiana.

"[Three] innocent people dead + 2 innocent people injured + 1 good guy with a gun + A bunch of terrified people who just watched a mass murder - 1 bad guy with a gun. I dunno, I'm running these numbers, and my Second Amendment at work is not looking so great, just math-wise," commentator Jill Filipovic added about the tragic situation at the shopping mall.

Beech Grove authorities expressed their gratitude to first responders from nearby communities who stood ready to fill the gap on Sunday night.