On a summer evening in Greenwood, Indiana, 56-year-old Pedro Pineda was enjoying a meal with his wife, Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda, in the food court of the Greenwood Park Mall. It was July 17, 2022, a day that would end in tragedy. The couple, natives of El Salvador, often spent time together at the mall. Their peaceful dinner was shattered when a gunman opened fire, killing both Pedro and his 37-year-old wife. Another man, 30-year-old Victor Gomez, was also killed in the attack.
Autopsies would later confirm that all three victims died from multiple gunshot wounds.
The perpetrator was identified as 20-year-old Jonathan Douglas Sapirman of Greenwood. On that Sunday, Sapirman entered the mall at 4:54 p.m. and went into a restroom, where he remained for over an hour. He emerged at 5:56 p.m. armed with a Sig Sauer M400 semi-automatic rifle and began shooting. He first shot Victor Gomez just outside the restroom before turning his weapon on the Pinedas as they sat eating. The entire violent episode lasted only 15 seconds.
The shooting was brought to an abrupt end by the heroic actions of a 22-year-old armed civilian, Elisjsha Dicken, who was at the mall with his girlfriend. Dicken engaged Sapirman with a handgun, firing ten rounds and killing the shooter. Investigators, who found that Sapirman had two more guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, praised Dicken's quick thinking and bravery, stating that he saved countless lives. The Johnson County prosecutor later determined Dicken's actions were lawful, and he faced no charges.
In the investigation that followed, which involved local police and the FBI, a motive for the shooting remained elusive. Sapirman had a juvenile record but no criminal history as an adult. His ex-girlfriend told investigators that he had been abusive, had a fascination with Nazi Germany, and had expressed racist views towards African Americans and Hispanics. Although the three victims were Hispanic, authorities could not definitively say they were targeted because of their race. Sapirman had also told his ex-girlfriend that he didn't expect to live past 20 and that if he ever killed himself, he would take others with him. The investigation concluded with Sapirman identified as the lone shooter.
