The marksmanship of the armed civilian hero who “neutralized” the gunman at an Indiana mall shooting is being called “extraordinary,” as donations are being collected to support him and to assist families of the three slain bystanders.
On GoFundMe.com, Indiana State Rep. Jim Lucas (R-Seymour) launched “Eli’s Show Of Support Fund” by contributing $500 for Elisjsha Dicken, 22, also of Seymour.
Dicken was shopping at the Greenwood Park Mall with his girlfriend around 6 p.m. on July 17 when a gunman opened fire in the food court area, prompting Dicken to draw his handgun and fire at the gunman, who died at the scene.
When The Epoch Times asked about the fund for Dicken, Lucas wrote in an email, “Eli is a constituent of mine that performed an incredibly heroic deed and saved countless lives.
“The money raised is Eli’s to spend as he sees fit, as he may encounter future financial hardships due to extended legal needs, counseling or grief services or missed time away from work.”
As of midday July 20, contributions to the fund totaled more than $15,000; the goal is $250,000.
The gunman, who police identified as Johnathan Douglas Sapirman, 20, of Greenwood, died after Dicken shot him.
In an email to The Epoch Times, Greenwood Police Chief James Ison confirmed that Dicken shot Sapirman just 15 seconds after Sapirman emerged from a restroom and began firing his rifle at mallgoers.
The chief said he had erred when he previously stated that two minutes had elapsed.
In a July 18 news conference, Ison called Dicken’s actions “very proficient, very tactically sound.”
According to Johnson County Coroner Michael Pruitt, eight of Dicken’s 10 rounds struck the gunman.
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman an Army Ranger and paratrooper who holds a black belt in Hojutsu, the martial art of the firearm, told The Epoch Times that Dicken’s accuracy was “extraordinary,” and was “well above the achievement that the average law enforcement officer is required to have.”
By Janice Hisle
