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'Good Samaritan' killing of Indiana mall gunman sparks debate about July 1 repeal of state's handgun permit law

From July 1, 2022, the State of Indiana does not require a permit to legally carry, conceal or transport a handgun within the state

Update:  Elisjsha Dicken, 20, was named on Monday, July 18, by police as the good Samaritan who took down the gunman, Jonathan Sapirman as he carried out a shooting spree at a suburban Indianapolis shopping mall on Sunday, July 17. Dicken was shopping with his girlfriend and pulled out his own weapon when he saw the gunman open fire - leading police to hail the quick-thinking young man as a hero by local police.

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Mass shootings in America are at an all-time high. On Sunday afternoon, July 17, a shooter unloaded his firearm in the food court of Greenwood Park Mall, Indiana, killing three people and leaving three injured. The shooter himself was then fatally shot by a man who happened to be carrying a concealed handgun — something that is legally allowed in the state from July 1, 2022 onward. Many people heard around 20-30 gunshots and officials later found more ammunition with the shooter, indicating he would have killed or injured more people if he had not been shot down. The man who shot the gunman was unharmed.

Following the incident, Greenwood Police Department Chief James Ison called the man who took down the shooter with his handgun a "good Samaritan". The police chief's comment was instantly met with backlash on social media. Arguing that praising another shooter was in bad taste, people stated that it was just a matter of time before the man turned rogue and carried out something like a mall shooting himself. The entire incident has turned the focus back on the July 1 repeal of the state's handgun permit law that lets anyone carry a handgun — no permits required. The official declaration reads, "On July 1, 2022, the State of Indiana will no longer require a handgun permit to legally carry, conceal or transport a handgun within the state."

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The July 1 decision allows anyone who is 18 or older to carry a handgun in public, except those with a felony conviction, who face a restraining order or have a dangerous mental illness. Capt. Ron Galaviz, in a conversation with AP, said, "We have to go through another step or two in order to be able to run a criminal check. We won’t necessarily be able to do it there on the side of the road.” According to the state police statistics, about 1.2 million people had Indiana handgun permits as of March 1. The new mass shooting incident, following those at Uvalde and Highland Park, has reignited the debate on the July 1 repeal that has relaxed gun laws even further, leaving citizens to wonder what course of action is right? Allowing people to arm themselves, so they can defend against rogue gunmen? Or enact severe gun restrictions so that wannabe shooters can no longer access weapons used in mass shootings? There have been 350 mass shootings this year, according to Gun Violence Archive, which classifies a mass shooting as one where four or more people are shot, not including the shooter.

Internet debates new Indiana gun laws

Soon after the incident, Congressman Eric Swalwell tweeted, "We have lots of families who shop at #Greenwood Park Mall in Indiana. They are safe. But too many families tonight again lost a loved one because we are a country of unrestricted weaponry. We are failing every person’s right to be free from gun violence. #EndGunViolence" One user wrote, "'On July 1, 2022, the State of Indiana will no longer require a handgun permit to legally carry, conceal or transport a handgun within the state.' Now cops can't do anything if they see someone with or suspect someone is carrying a handgun. How the F does this make any sense."

After the mall shooting, a person tweeted, "In wake of the Greenwood park mall shooting, I’d like to inform America that Indiana passed, Governor Holcomb signed, and July 1st went to affect a law that allows people to carry handguns without a permit meaning nobody can ever even check if they’re allowed to have it or not."

Rep Maureen Bauer wrote, "People in America deserve the right to live a life free from the fear of gun violence while shopping or working at a mall. I ache with the community impacted by yet another mass shooting which has taken the lives of innocent bystanders at the Greenwood Park Mall in Indiana."

Another user wrote, "If anyone can carry a gun around, they don’t become criminal until they start shooting. And the Good Samaritan who killed the shooter also had a gun in the mall, which was also against the rules. But I bet that doesn’t bother you." Another user clearly advocated that guns do not save lives, "If everybody in Greenwood park mall were armed, I guarantee that many more people would have been shot and many more people would have died! Guns kill! Guns do not save lives!"

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While the surge in shootings has reignited the debate on gun control measures, the US House Judiciary Committee had previously said it would take up a proposed legislation to ban certain assault weapons this week. However, the US Constitution’s Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms and the issue is proving to be a divisive one in American politics. Police in Indiana, themselves felt that the repeal of the law makes it harder to screen for dangerous individuals with weapons. The law's exceptions include individuals with felonies or restraining orders against them. Scott County Sheriff Jerry Goodin told WDRB then that the change in law would only instill fear in the public "A guy can stand out there — or a girl or whoever with a rifle, an AR-15 or a handgun — and stand there on a sidewalk looking at the school,"  Goodin told WDRB. "The difference is this: We can't even stop and ask them what they're doing because of this law."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.