Greenwood, United States of America (USA)- According to the Greenwood Police Department, four people lost their lives yesterday evening following a shootout at the Greenwood Park Mall.
Retelling the fatal incident, Greenwood Police Chief, Jim Ison, said a man entered the Greenwood Park Mall with a rifle and several magazines of ammunition before opening fire at the food court and killing three people and injuring three.
Moreso, the unidentified gunman, was then shot and killed by a lawfully armed 22-year-old man who observed the shooting in progress.
“The real hero of the day is the citizen that was lawfully carrying a firearm in that food court and was able to stop the shooter almost as soon as he began,” said Ison.
In addition, Ison said they had also detected a suspicious backpack in a bathroom, and bomb squads were dispatched to the area. Later, however, investigators determined that it did not contain any explosives, citing that police have finished clearing all of the stores and corridors in the mall, saying they are confident that there are no further threats and investigators are also due to start processing the crime scene.
Ison also said that multiple agencies have since responded to the scene and are assisting in the incident, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Johnson County Sheriff’s Department and Department of Homeland Security
“We experienced a mass shooting this evening (Sunday) at the Greenwood Park Mall. The Greenwood Police Department is in control of the scene. This person saved lives tonight. On behalf of the City of Greenwood, I am grateful for his quick action and heroism in this situation. I am in direct contact with the command post, and there is no further threat. This tragedy hits at the core of our community. Please offer your prayers to the victims and our first responders,” said Mayor, Mark Myers.
However, police are still investigating the shooter’s motive and questioning people who were inside the mall at the time of the attack. They are asking all witnesses to contact authorities and have requested that the public stay away from the mall at this time.
The local community now joins a slew of others also grappling with the aftermath of mass shootings, including communities reeling from recent massacres. The Greenwood Park Mall incident follows a string of shootings, which hit schools, churches, grocery stores and an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, on 4 July.
According to Gun Violence Archive, the attack in Greenwood is the 349th mass shooting this year.
