The gunman was shot by an armed civilian, police said.
Three people were killed and two others were injured Monday in a shooting that occurred at a shopping center outside of Indianapolis, Indiana. An armed civilian fatally shot the gunman, police said.
According to Greenwood Police Chief Jim Ison, a man entered Greenwood Park Mall with a rifle and several magazines of ammunition before opening fire in the food court. Police have yet to identify the attacker or establish his motive.
The shooter was eventually stopped by a “Good samaritan”, whom Ison described as a 22-year-old man.
“The real hero of the day is the citizen who legally carried a firearm in that food court and was able to stop the shooter almost as soon as it started.”, the police chief told reporters.
Authorities said they had also spotted a suspicious backpack in a bathroom and bomb squads had been dispatched to the area. Later, however, investigators determined that it contained no explosives.
Police have finished clearing all stores and walkways in the mall and say they are confident there are no more threats. Investigators also need to start processing the crime scene, Ison added.
“We are disgusted by other types of incidents like this in our country,Indianapolis Deputy Police Chief Chris Bailey said.
The Greenwood Park Mall incident follows a series of shootings, which included a tragedy that affected schools, churches, grocery stores and an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, on July 4. The gunman in that incident killed seven people and injured dozens during the attack.