Who was Victor Gomez? Indiana mall shooting victim, 30, was killed before he could use his handgun
GREENWOOD, INDIANA: Three people were fatally shot and two were injured on the evening of July 17 at a mall in Indiana after a man, identified as Jonathan Sapirman, opened fire with a rifle in a food court. Now, the latest update given by Greenwood Police Chief Jim Ison to WRTV suggests that one of the three victims, who was shot dead, was carrying a handgun that he never had a chance to pull.
The Johnson County Coroner’s Office on Monday, July 18, identified the three victims who died as Pedro Pineda, 56; Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda, 37; and Victor Gomez, 30. The coroner’s office confirmed that Pedro and Rosa Mirian were husband and wife. Whereas, police later found that Gomez was carrying a handgun. However, he didn't get a chance to pull his gun and defend himself. “He had no time,” said Police Chief Ison.
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What happened to Victor Gomez?
The officials said that shooter Sapirman had three guns and more than 100 rounds of ammunition when he entered the mall. Just before 5 pm, he entered the bathroom of the mall's food court, where police said he remained for an hour. As the mall closed, he came out and shot Gomez, who was from Indianapolis, then shot the Pinedas as they ate dinner.
Narrating the details, Ison said, "He (Sapirman) comes out (of a restroom) and the very first person that he sees walking into the restroom, he fires on, (he) shoots, then turns the gun to the food court and starts firing into the food court."
The police chief further said that Sapirman fired 24 rounds in about two minutes. Later, a bystander, Elisjsha Dicken, pulled a handgun and shot Sapirman to death. Dicken was able to neutralize the gunman within two minutes after the gunman had already fired 24 rounds from his rifle. Dicken fired 10 shots from his Glock handgun.
'Responsible armed citizen'
"He engaged the gunman from quite a distance with a handgun -- was very proficient in that, very tactically sound and as he moved to close in on the suspect he was also motioning for people to exit behind him," Ison said. "Many more people would have died last night if not for a responsible armed citizen that took action very quickly within the first two minutes of the shooting," he added.
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Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb also applauded the heroic actions taken by the individual. "I stand with the community in grieving the loss of lives, and my thoughts are also with the many people impacted by this traumatic incident, including innocent bystanders whose lives are forever changed," Holcomb tweeted.
I stand with the community in grieving the loss of lives, and my thoughts are also with the many people impacted by this traumatic incident, including innocent bystanders whose lives are forever changed.
— Governor Eric Holcomb (@GovHolcomb) July 18, 2022