Greenwood Park Mall Reopens Only Two Days After Mass Shooting

Two days after being the scene of a mass shooting that left three victims dead, the Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, Indiana, reopened on Tuesday.

The mall had been closed after a 20-year-old gunman entered the food court Sunday with a long rifle and several ammunition magazines and opened fire. Three people were killed, and the gunman was later fatally shot by an armed bystander.

The Greenwood Park Mall reopened on Tuesday, and several outlets reported that the atmosphere there was relatively unchanged as it had been before the shooting. WTHR interviewed several shoppers who said that the mall "seemed the same. No big change."

Local station WISH reported that some stores at the mall remained closed on Tuesday, but most were open, and a few employees seemed apprehensive.

One shopper told WISH she was anxious about going in but said: "You just can't live your life in fear."

Pedro Pineda, 56, his wife Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda, 37, and Victor Gomez, 30, were the three victims killed on Sunday. The shooter managed to injure two others, including a 12-year-old girl, before he was shot and killed by an armed bystander, 22-year-old Elisjsha Dicken.

Dicken has been praised by law enforcement and government officials for his quick action and bravery.

"His actions were nothing short of heroic," Greenwood Police Chief James Ison said of Dicken during a news conference on Monday. "He engaged the gunman from quite a distance with a handgun, was very proficient in that, very tactically sound. As he moved to close in on the suspect, he was also motioning for people to exit behind him. He has, to our knowledge, he has no police training and no military background."

Sunday's deadly shooting left people in the Greenwood community shaken. Per WTHR, one woman said: "People always say I never thought it could happen here. It would never happen here. But I'm so proud of the law enforcement, the first responders, and of course, Eli Dicken. He is an absolute hero. You know, if it hadn't been for him, it would have been far worse."

Despite the Greenwood Park Mall's property policy banning weapons on the premises, Dicken doesn't appear likely to face legal consequences for legally carrying a handgun into the mall, according to experts.

The Simon Property Group, which owns the mall, has praised Dicken for his heroism as well.

"We grieve for the victims of yesterday's horrific tragedy in Greenwood," the company said in a statement to Newsweek. "Violence 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."

Newsweek reached out to the Greenwood Park Mall for additional comment.