The man who stopped a shooter at an Indiana shopping mall with a pistol is not being praised by everyone.
On Sunday, a shooter opened fire at Greenwood Park Mall killing three people.
Elisjsha (Elijah) Dicken pulled a gun on the shooter and killed him.
Greenwood Police Chief James Ison explained, âHis actions were nothing short of heroic. He engaged the gunman from quite a distance with a handgun, was very proficient in that, very tactically soundâŠhe has no police training and no military background.â
Others were not so quick to praise Dicken.
Journalist David Leavitt tweeted, âIt wasnât a âGood Samaritanâ at Greenwood Park Mall. It was an armed vigilante.â
He added, âRepublicans donât understand the meaning of âGood Samaritan.'â
Leavitt argued that good guys âdonât carry guns. They carry first aid kits.â
CBS4 traffic anchor Justin Kollar explained, âThe term, âGood Samaritanâ came from a Bible passage of a man from Samaria who stopped on the side of the road to help a man who was injured and ignored.â
He continued, âI cannot believe we live in a world where the term can equally apply to someone *killing* someone⊠my God.â
https://twitter.com/kollarjustin/status/1548832235905863680
Still, others expressed appreciation for Dickenâs actions.
A spokesperson for the Greenwood Park Mall said in a statement, âWe grieve for the victims of yesterdayâs horrific tragedy.â
The statement continues, âViolence has no place in this or any other community. We are grateful for the strong response of the first responders, including the heroic actions of the Good Samaritan who stopped the suspect.â
Dickensâ attorney asked for privacy for him and his family, as NBC News reported.
âBecause we want to respect the on-going criminal investigation by the Greenwood Police Department and take time to honor the three innocent lives lost, we wonât be making any substantive comments on Sundayâs events until after the authoritiesâ investigation is closed,â attorney Guy Relford said.
