A strong testimonial in favor of concealed carry, self-defense and situational awareness.
A mass shooter named Douglas Sapirman opened fire at the Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, Indiana, shooting three people before he was stopped by a 22-year-old who reacted in seconds after the shooting started.
22-year-old Elisjsha Dicken (pictured left) told his girlfriend to get under a table at the mall food court, then engaged the gunman using his pistol. Dicken fired ten shots, killing the gunman who was armed with a long rifle as he attempted to retreat. Police are hailing young Mr. Dicken as a hero who likely saved the lives of many.
INDIANA – […] Elisjsha Dicken, an armed bystander, fired on Sapirman. Dicken fired 10 rounds hitting Sapirman as Sapirman tried to retreat into the bathroom but collapsed and died.
Dicken had no police training or military background, according to police. He was carrying under the new “Constitutional Carry” law and did not have a permit. Police said Dicken learned to shoot from his grandfather and that he had no military or police training.
“His actions were nothing short of heroic. He engaged the gunman from quite a distance with a handgun. Was very proficient in that, was tactically sound and as he moved to close in on the suspect, he was also motioning for people to exit behind him,” Ison said about Dicken’s actions. “Many people would have died last night if not for a responsible armed citizen that took action very quickly within the first two minutes of this shooting.”
Dicken has not yet spoken with the media about the shooting. However, his lawyer Guy A. Relford released a statement on Monday that said Dicken is waiting to speak about the shooting to respect the lives lost and the police’s investigation.
The full statement can be read here:
“I am proud to serve as Eli Dicken’s 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 ongoing 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.” (read more)
A brave young man. Well done Mr. Dicken. Well done.
Police Press Conference:
A trained civilian ends the shooting less than 2 minutes after it begins. Willing to give his life to protect others. This young man is a hero for sure. Police officers in Uvalde and other cities around the US, take note, this is how it’s done. God bless Eli and his family.
It’s worse than that! He was carrying under “Constitutional Carry” and did not have a registered permit to carry 🙂
That should terrify the left.
This is something you have or you don t and you ll find out very quickly if you can rise to the occasion and do what he did.People that I ve known when I asked them if they could react to situations like this responded no or I don t know.Than I asked why do you have a CCW?Having been trained I know of police officers I worked with that were very hesitant.My hat s off to this honorable and brave young man for his decisive action
That may be why our gov. drafts 18 year olds!
They draft 18 year olds because they make good cannon fodder for our endless, stupid wars.
There’s no draft
Thank God!
Can you imagine how many more endless wars the political elite would indulge themselves with if they had a limitless supply of cannon fodder that the draft could ensure?
True– but they do register males over 18, and our “all volunteer” military has been falling short of recruitment quotas since the soft coup in 2020 and Vax mandates landed. They can easily switch that back on.
Uh, no. The draft is just in shadow mode: 18-year-olds are REQUIRED by the government to register for the draft. Recently, the stupid immoral Congress passed a bill requiring girls ALSO to register.
Have you noticed the dismal military recruitment numbers lately — goals missed by very big numbers! And then there’s the whole woke thing going on, and decent moral military members doing what they can to get out. And then there’s the “vaccine” mandate that is winnowing out huge numbers on top of all that.
Don’t be surprised when a “war” is drummed up SO the draft can be activated “legitimately,” again. They need their sacrificial lambs, after all.
Henry Kissinger did infamously state the truth, with contempt, when he admitted the military consists of cannon fodder. Should make any decent moral person think twice about either “enlisting” or permitting their son/daughter to “register” for future “duty.”
Hmmm,…many bemoan and promote the narrative that the millenials, or whatever their calling college age kids, are all woke and stupid,…
And yet, military recruitment is down, as a result of the transformation,….and we see rittenhouse, the kid who didn’t fight the indian with the drum (sorry, cerebral flatulence!) and now this kid,…maybe a relatively small # of screaming purple haired fanatics are hogging our attention, and we don’t see there are a lot if college age kids who aren’t indoctrinated?
Thank our God for those who aren’t indoctrinated — and whatever adult influences kept them from being indoctrinated.
The point I tried to make is that the current government and its military are poised to activate the conscription of precisely these young people precisely for the reasons recruitment and retention are failing. “Conscription” means by coercion and force. It means stripping these most valuable young people of their rights and their lives in “service” to gangs of masters they never would have legitimately allowed over them.
These unindoctrinated, decent, moral young people are the only hope for decency, reasonable, rational, moral future of our society. We need to help the AVOID any such draft/conscription into our ENEMY’S evil, indecent, immoral, corrupted military. THAT is OUR responsibility and duty TO THEM. If we really care. Abolish “the draft.”
Yes. Very sad. And witness to the disintegration of the generation who were tasked with the responsibility to rear these gifts from God, the gifts intended to save our future and theirs.
Points up the fact that the evil, corruption, indecency, irrationality, immorality, and destruction of our society did not happen just 20 years ago.
We need to deeply learn the origins of today’s catastrophic destruction of our society and our people. And do what is needful to root it out and heal us.
If we care. For the sake of what we may never see, but know it will inevitably come, tomorrow. These are our children and grandchildren, who are innocent of the creeping malevolence of the last 100 years we have complacently and compliantly allowed to destroy us. We need to rip out this evil malaise poisoning everything decent and good to save our children and theirs. We need to somehow remove the choking smoke and trick mirrors from the seeming inevitability of hopelessness enveloping our troubled youth. Provide better opportunities for them than the corrupt government can. Surely there are enough of us who can pool our resources and provide food and housing for these children in lieu of their learning, training, and bettering of themselves under wise tutelage? Churches used to help do this; it’s how the Salvation Army was born. But locally, we can surely do better by these young people?
Otherwise, we’re not just throwing them away to our true enemy, but everything we claim we are, too. They are the ones who will carry on after us, after all. Everything we believe and claim is in them.
Draft ended in 1973.
I know. I joined the Navy thinking my chances of ‘Nam were lessened. Not a coward here. I did 34 yrs. in the Navy as Active Duty and a Navy Civilian. As I arrived my first day of Boot Camp on 1 July 1971 the Lottery was drawn. We watched it as we were in the Barber Shop getting buzzed. My hair was to my shoulders. My Draft Number wea 362. HA! Boy was my face red.
The first year they had that birthday drawing, 1970, my birthday, Sept. 14 was numero uno. Fortunately for me my year of eligibility was 1972. I was on a student exchange program in Mexico and, having finally found an International Herald Tribune, was able to determine my effective number was 353. I sort of remember celebrating with tequila shots about 10:00 am.
Funny how those numbers stand out in memory.
What’s even more entertaining is that you remember the numbers after celebrating with tequila. LOL
Because they are the numbers assigned to your life by a “government” who isn’t interested in knowing anything more about you. Your life is theirs to do with what they want.
Gotta love those damn facts!!
Only “formally.”
“Than I asked why do you have a CCW?”
Hesitancy shouldn’t be the benchmark of allowing a person to exercise the right to carry, nor should they be shamed into not carrying.
Still, it’s not bad to ask the question, at least to inspire some reflection.
Frankly, if they took a CCW coarse, in order to get their CCW, such hesitation is understandable.
A large portion of the class is taken up with spelling out, with statistics, all the negative consequences that CAN occur, if you use your weopon to take another life, in self defence.
Its SUPPOSED to make you hesitant, thats the whole idea.
You can be prosecuted in Criminal court, and the lawyer fees can bankrupt you.
Even if you are found not guilty, you can be sued in Civil court, and have a judgement against you you will never pay off.
And, then there is “the Court of public opinion” that can force you into hiding, for life.
Look at what they did to Rittenhouse, for example.
And, he has only been able to sue for the damage, because he was 17 at the time, and only was cleared of criminal charges, because there were clear, unambiguous videos of the incudent, and because he dis absolutely everything, exactly right.
Yes, I WOULD (I like to believe) engage the shooter. But, I would do that knowing the risks are far more than just risk of being shot by the nutjob.
Your life will never be the same.
The Good Samaritan of Greenwood may have answered that hypothetical question the same way as those you spoke to.
Because of recent events this young fella will get away with it….. did he do the right thing…..sure he did…… Would I??? not unless the guy was specifically shooting at me….and I was video taping the whole and finally as long as the mayor was not black and as long as it was not in a democratically controlled area.
Fact is in many states it always the perpetrator they want to give the benefit of the doubt.
Even in clear cut cases where say….. you are getting your head beat into concrete thanks to Trayvon……….or three guys attack you with skate boards (yep they are great weapons) and two get killed and they want to make your bail a million bucks. Even where BLM want to come into your home and you stand there with your own legal weapon AND you are a lawyer…. these idiot governments want to throw the book at you and let a career criminal out on no cash bail.
This young fella was lucky… thats all…. next time he may not be.
Some say, “It is better to be judged by twelve than carried by six.” To each his own, though.
Guess that makes the Good Samaritan doubly brave.
Now THAT I would agree with……. for someone else….he was brave alright….with the help of his grandpa!
His grandpa must be so proud of him. And I love the fact that the young man took care of his girlfriend and protected her before he engaged the Killer. Hell of a man he is.
He could have been the next one down.
He saved his life, just as he save the other lives.
Thank God that he had the clarity and strength to follow through.
Spot on.
Unless they have actually had such a choice forced upon them, I guess they wouldn’t know.
But I am grateful that they are prepared to meet such a crisis.
I’ve asked quite a few fellow military combat veterans if they had doubts before engaging the enemy if they could kill. Almost to a man they said they were unsure. It is easy for the armchair Rambos to brag about their desire to ‘go get them’.
Some entity on the left will soon file a lawsuit against Eli because they cannot allow him, his fame or his likeness to stand. They will find a way to come after him.
Some entity on the left will soon file a lawsuit against Eli because they cannot allow him, his fame or his likeness to stand. They will find a way to come after him.
I haven’t seen it clearly ‘spelled out’ in the coverage, but I suspect/assume the Mall had “Gun-Free killing Zone” signs up at all the entrances,.
I know its common where I live, and such signs, in small print always cite, by #, a State Statute, and list the fine and jail time that anyone violating the statute could be subject to.
Will they actually be stupid enough to try to charge and convict this young man under the statute he obviously violated?
Prosecutorial discretion certainly COULD be applied, as we can hope even a $0r0$ prosecutor would see the futility of attempting to prosecute.
The thing IS, if they DON’T prosecute, they let the narrative stand; that such signs do nothing to stop nutjob mass shooters (and actually attract them) and that lawful gun owners can just ignore the signs.
I suspect they WON’T prosecute, and will just “memory hole” this story, hard and fast; it destroys their gun control narrative, stands in stark contrast to Uvalde shooting, and they not only can’t exploit it, but it CAN be “exploited” to destroy their narrative,…
on the other hand, never underestimate the enemies potential, to shoot themselves in the foot, they have developed quite a track record.
You ask, Will they actually be stupid enough to try to charge and convict this young man under the statute he obviously violated?
Yes, they are stupid enough. But it’s not the kind stupid we are used too. This is more sinister and evil, outright wicked.
Those of whom you speak care for no one they feed on hated and dissension.
They are full of the devil who was a liar and a murderer from the beginning.
Not a legal statute, so he can’t be arrested.
You are very much correct, the Left cannot allow his heroism, fame, or any positive perception of concealed carry to take away their anti-gun narrative.
My guess is not only will he be prosecuted by a Leftist DA, he will doxxed and his family harassed, protests will ensue complete with the requisite burning of buildings and police vehicles, and countless heads will explode berating this young man’s calm and character.
You’re right about the “heads” and the berating; but the rest…It doesn’t fit the narrative and will be ignored in favor of more fruitful propaganda?
Maybe something on how great Grewsom is?
At running Californication…Into the ground?
At building a Railroad…To nowhere?
At visiting someone’s house…When they are not there?
Was he checking to see if the stove got left on?
Measuring for new drapes?
To test out the Resolute Desk?
Let the law suits begin. IMO The Uvalde PD and others could learn a lot from this young hero.
The 2nd amendment doesn’t say anything about gun free zones and permits.
Maybe the Uvalde PD could use a little of that diversity training that’s been forced upon everyone else.
The new “Constitutional Carry” law eliminates the Gun-Free-Zone BS?
No — and these are two separate issues.
First, the ‘Constitutional Carry’ in the state of Indiana only means that people who are not ‘prohibited possessors’ no longer need to apply for a carry permit. Before July 1st, an Indiana resident had to go through a background check just to carry legally, outside of your own home, car, or business. Now, you can carry anywhere so long as you are not a felon, and don’t have a history of mental illness, and are not carrying in an actual ‘gun free zone’ (which includes government facilities, schools and other locations where a school function is being conducted, and Post Office parking lots).
Second, though the Simon property (Greenwood Park Mall) has a sign up prohibiting ‘weapons’ (presumably this covers much more than just firearms), that is not upheld by law. If you were to be found armed at this location, you could be asked to leave — and if you chose not to leave when asked, you could be charged with trespassing.
So, the Constitutional Carry law has NO EFFECT on WHERE you can carry — it only shifts the responsibility for passing a Federal background check from BEFORE you carry, to … well, AFTER you are found to be carrying (and presumably involved in some activity that prompts law enforcement to run it).
Constitutional Carry is just permitless carry. You still have to obey all state and federal firearms laws though.
Indiana has no law pertaining to a sign not permitting handguns, or no shirt or shoes for that matter. The mall could have asked him to leave, and if he refused, he could be arrested for trespassing. That is it. This young man broke no laws in his actions. But nice try trying to make him the bad guy. He is not.
Reading comprehension is important. Where did he say the young man was the bad guy?
commonsense would suggest that ANY public facility is gun free as far as the kooks are concerned. Law-abiding citizens should be and are exempt from any irritating hindrance to their 2nd amendment rights. Harden the soft targets. If it’s concealed, who is the wiser 🙂
Yes, Greenwood Mall was/is a “gun free zone”….
Not a gun free zone under the law. It is the private mall company’s “code of conduct”. Can’t be arrested for that.
I frankly haven’t looked, lately at the “gun-free killing zone” signs, here in Az.
I began ignoring them, when I began carrying.
But, back then the DID cite an Az statute, by # but without the text, but DID say “punishable by a fine of $25,000 and 1 year incarceration” IIRC.
I actually don’t know if “Constitutional Carry” makes those Az Statutes void, or not.
As stated above, I ain’t being carried by six, because of a stupid law or sign, hence ignoring the signs.
Those Gun and Drug Free Zones at malls and schools that were backed so heartedly by Xiden are about as effective as masks for C-19.
They need to be removed immediately. Let every perp guess at who is armed.
If only they just weren’t effective, that would be one thing.
Put up the sign, don’t put up the sign, it makes NO DIFFERENCE, in other words.
But, thats NOT the case. The history of these shootings indicates these gun free zones are MAGNETS for nutjob shooters.
And THATS why this STUPID policy needs to be rescinded.
It’s not just young men who can and do this. In 2007, Jeanne Assam stopped a shooting at New Life Church.
She was armed, trained, volunteer security at the Church.
Where?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Colorado_YWAM_and_New_Life_shootings
Very brave to take on a long riffle with a CCW handgun. That’s a nightmare scenario right there. 10 rounds? Must have been a midsized CCW. I’ve had my stub nosed 38 at the range (very easy to carry) but i don’t think it would even TRY to hit a target 40 feet away. I swear the bullets must knuckle out of that gun.
Ah, but his GRANDAD taught him,…no doubt “Aim small, miss small”.
That this event would play out, so soon after the Uvalde incident, with the obvious “compare and contrast” is beyond remarkeable, as it deconstructs the anti-gun narrative entirely.
So much for “gun-free kill zones” and demonising “assault weopons” as somehow being something special, and different than any other weopon.
Hopefully the Uvalde PD will hire him to teach their officers the correct method of dealing with crazed killers! Apparently a 22 year old has more guts and expertise than the whole department combined!
They definitely need retraining at the very least.
I’m a little more skeptical these days, and I think it could’ve been stopped before it happened, or maybe it was by design for political reasons.
There is the initial advantage of surprise. Crazed gunman whacking people with a rifle gives away his position. CCW guy out of gunman’s line of sight can adopt an ideal stance and grip, maybe behind cover, and send a half dozen well aimed shots before now frightened AF gunman guy can get around to engage or dive for cover. Just one hit wrecks gun man’s cool and plan.
Still, fully agree pistol vs rifle the pistol guy is at a huge disadvantage for accuracy, nevermind relative effect of the rounds. And fully agree no CCW guy, no matter how well trained and how cool a character under stress, knows how he/she would perform until the situation occurs.
It is evident that firearms training isn’t the only thing instilled in this young man. His decision of no comment to the media out of respect for victims’ families right now speaks volumes about his character.
We have ourselves another Kyle Rittenhouse in our midst and that’s in of itself encouraging to know.
There are millions!!
I pray God you are right.
And a “good lawyer” (sorry for the obvious oxymoron) that, importantly, the client is listening to.
I love how people like this Tom Spalding guy spew this sort of nonsense all the time, expecting to be patted on the back for their moral fortitude. #CollectivismRequiresIgnorance
Good thing he wasn’t in NY, CA, or Illinois, or in some other godforsaken jurisdiction with one of Soros’ DA’s. He’d be in jail.
I figured it was just Kyle Rittenhouse visiting the area.
Kenosha should honor Kyle with a street sign or something around 60th Street and Sheridan Road.
One of the thugs that he shot had a court order to stay away from minors. Ironic that a minor stopped him cold.
Another irony is that Rittenhouse supports Black Lives Matter (the movement, not the Marxist organization).
Thanks Grandpa!!!! Teach them to fish and shoot by God.
And pray.
Great job, Eli. You are a young man of immense courage and responsibility.
Can I interest you in a job as a school security officer in Uvalde, Texas?
Very nice shooting.
“Can I interest you in a job as a school security officer in Uvalde, Texas?”
….where he’d be ordered to stand down.
Well done indeed.
Somebody has to take out the trash.
If that’s really Uvalde police in the picture, was one of these people the guy who was using hand sanitizer during the stand off?
That active shooter picked the wrong Cinnabon for a mass killing!
So…tell me again how citizens trained in firearms by their grandfathers are never going to measure up in conflict because ‘muh military tactical training.’ Or something.
The Left wants to take away all our guns.
Only the Left is miserable with a hero using a gun in self-defense of himself and others.
The Left would have preferred a mass murder without any defense using a gun.
This event underscores the necessity of gun ownership and underscores how sick and dangerous the Left is.
Sick? More likely stupid, ignorant, bull-headed and just plain dumb. Sick can be fixed. The Left can’t be fixed.
In a saner un-woke time, Police Departments would be clamoring to get him to sign up for the Academy. Jesh….
Whereas now he is automatically disqualified?
ugh — the kid is now a target of any wacko – should have stayed anonymous; can any experienced shooter here explain how a handgun could take down a long gun ?
It wasn’t the handgun that took down a rifle………..it was the expertise, in more ways than one, of the shooter of the handgun that took down the shooter with the rifle. Praise God and pass the ammunition!
sarsfield;
the primary advantage of a rifle is range, a rifle can generally impart more energy to the bullet, sobit can accurately shoot farther.
So, if we are standing 100 yds away, and you have a rifle and I have a pistol, I’m screwed.
If we are standing 20′ away, you have no advantage, and in that scenario I may even have an advantage, as you need to swing the long barrel around and line it up, and I don’t.
Sorry, your question requires a longer answer, than I want to go into here.
Very heroic- undoubtably saved innocent lives.
Contrast Mr Dicken’s actions now with that of the woke USN, where during a fire the sailors and officers were ‘triggered’ and ran to look for a ‘safe space’.
Our “prime minister” is taking away our handguns/making them worthless because of the Uvalde incident.
Will he now cease and desist in his destructive ways because of this justifiable shoot? Highly unlikely.
He needs to give up his protective detail’s firearms, though.
A bit of different perspective. This young man stepped up when many could or would not. Many prospective victims owe the young man a thank you.
What I truly hope for him is a return to normalcy. I do not care how horrible the perp was. What Eli did, will weigh on him at times. I care that this young man now has to live with the taking of a life. Much as I cared about Kyle Rittenhouse, and our combat arms people in the military. Taking a life changes a person. As justified and righteous it might be, that will effect a person forever.
Thank you for what you did, Eli. There is no telling how many lives you saved that day. Remember that always, and know you were right.
People are coming forward to publicly thank this young man for his actions. Count me among them. I would also like to take the time to thank the man’s grandfather for his actions over the years too.
This is a fight or flight scenario, someone opens fire into a crowd and you are in the thick of it. Do you flee or do you fight? Adrenaline plays a role in either decision. No one knows how they will react until it actually happens. Some people are able to remain calm focus on the threat and take decisive purposeful actions. It does not mean they are unafraid. Quite the contrary, they are downright terrified but they have the self control to act regardless. Others experience a panic attack and run away screaming exactly like one of the witnesses did who spoke to the police. Meanwhile, this young man put his girlfriend on the ground beneath the table taking cover then advanced toward the perp drew his concealed handgun. He took up position held the proper stance, used both hands and fired at considerable distance striking the perpetrator multiple times. Then he further advanced, motioning innocent people to get behind him, as the perp began to fall back in an attempt to take refuge in the restrooms from whence he emerged. Only the Good Samaritan wasn’t done and kept firing and advancing. The perp fell and remained still, mortally wounded. Score one for the good guys. The police were just responding after it was all over.
The liberals who seek to malign people like Eli and Kyle Rittenhouse have no hearts.
They don’t even know how to accept good news with gratitude.
The Chief of police just released a correction on statements made at the 2:00pm press conference…
“There was an error in the timeline of events given. The time apse between the moment that Jonathan Sapiran exited the restroom and began shooting, and when he was shot by the civilian (Elisjsha Dicken) was only 15 seconds, not two minutes. The surveillance video shows Sapirman exit the restroom at 5:56:48pm. He was neutralized by Dicken at 5:57:03pm. This error was simply a result of misreading notes during the conference. I feel the need to correct this immediately. Thank you.” Chief James Ison
I’m speechless. 15 seconds, 40 YARDS, with a pistol.
Divine Providence.
Here is an article about it
https://ktar.com/story/5163741/police-indiana-mall-gunman-fired-24-times-in-15-seconds/
Still looking for a video of the news conference.
No news conference the Police Chief, just released a statement.
And DARN good training by his grandfather!
Amen to that!
Haven’t seen reportage on what happened after, but bear in mind if your not in Uvalde, cops responding to an active shooter come in and see you holding a gun, you could be shot by them.
A consideration,…
Left oven on high
Laptop inside
Butane near by
News clip cued…..
Good Guys shooting stats are at Citizen Free Press. Holy Cow! 10 shots with his 9mm Glock, hit bad guy 8 times, hit bad guy at 40 yards!
Unbelievable good shooting! His first shot hit Siperman at 40-50 yards under stressful conditions. Wow!
Great job by this legally armed citizen. Sadly, here in SC, we don’t have constitutional carry and entering a posted so-called gun free zone while carrying with your CWP is a crime. $1000 fine or up to a year in jail and lose your CWP for up to five years.
Yes, thats what I was referring to, we have signs like that in Az.
Hard to imagine in a “happy ending” story like this, where the ‘good guy’ seems to have done everything absolutely right, that a ‘good shooter’ would be prosecuted.
However, I could see it being problematic, if everything doesn’t go perfect, or there isn’t video proving you did everything perfect,..I AM biased,…I HATE those signs.
There should be a statue erected in his honor at the entrance to this mall !!!! He saved a LOT of lives.
We need more patriots like this young man!