The suspect in the Indiana mall shooting fired 24 times within 15 seconds before he was stopped by an armed bystander, the police said on Tuesday.
The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Jonathan Sapirman, had already killed three people and injured two on 17 July before Elisjsha Dicken fatally shot him, potentially saving several lives.
Greenwood Police Chief James Ison clarified that the shooter was stopped by the good Samaritan within 15 seconds and not two minutes, as previously claimed in Monday’s press conference.
“This error was simply a result of misreading notes during the [press] conference,” Mr Ison said Tuesday. “I feel the need to correct this immediately.”
“The surveillance video shows Sapirman exit the restroom at 5.56.48pm,” added the police chief. “He was neutralised by Dicken at 5.57.03 pm.”
Calling Mr Dicken’s response “heroic”, Mr Ison had said on Monday that “many more people would have died last night if not for a responsible armed citizen”.
Mr Dicken was shopping with his girlfriend in Greenwood Park Mall on Sunday when Sapirman entered, armed with three guns and more than 100 rounds of ammunition.
Upon entering the mall, Sapirman went to a bathroom at the food court where he remained for over an hour before exiting and firing his first shots at Victor Gomez, killing him with the Sig Sauer rifle.
He then shot Pedro Pineda and Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda as they ate dinner.
“Sapirman then fired several more rounds into the food court, striking a 22-year-old female. A bullet fragment, believed to have ricocheted, hit a 12-year-old female who was running for the exit in the back,” Mr Ison said.
Mr Dicken, who was lawfully carrying a concealed pistol, fired at “the gunman with a handgun from quite a distance”, said the police chief while praising him for his “proficient” and “sound” tactics.
He fired ten rounds, reported the BBC News, adding that the police had handcuffed and questioned him before verifying his version of events with CCTV footage.
The preliminary autopsy revealed that Sapirman was shot eight times.
Meanwhile, Mr Dicken’s lawyer said that his client would not be making any comments till the completion of the investigation, reported New York Post.
Additional reporting by agencies
