A man had opened fire within the Greenwood Park Mall and within 15 seconds, Elijah Dicken was able to step in and prevent further casualties.
The Greenwood police department say that Dicken was shopping with his girlfriend on Sunday at the mall when he stopped her a cookie counter. soon, after stopping, a gunman exited a nearby restroom, and began his shooting spree.
After a few seconds, Elijah begin running towards the man armed with only a handgun and engaged the shooter. The gunman tried to go back into the restroom, but Dicken continued on the shooting suspect until he fell to the ground.
By the time the police arrived, they say that Dicken had approached the mall security telling them that he was the one that neutralized the shooter and he waited with security until the police arrived.
“Our city, our community, and our state is grateful for his heroism in this situation, - Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers."
Statement form Dickens Attorney and spokesperson
I am proud to serve as Eli Dickens’ attorney and spokesperson. 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. 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. In the interim, we ask that you respect the privacy of Eli and his family.