Good Samaritan who shot would-be mass shooter at Indiana mall slammed by anti-gun activists

Anti-gun activists are manufacturing a backlash because an Indianapolis "Good Samaritan" shot and killed a potential mass shooter in a shopping mall late Sunday evening, likely saving dozens of innocent lives.

Journalist Kaz Weida wrote on Twitter, "The NRA’s dream is apparently having every mall food court erupt into a scene at the OK corral. Good luck dodging the bullets, kids. This America brought to you by Republicans."

David Lazarus, who describes himself as that "Emmy-winning money guy for KTLA Channel 5," echoed the OK corral analogy with, "A good guy with a gun killing a bad guy with a gun sounds great ... if you live in 19th-century Tombstone. In the 21st century, it's an insane way to live."

The mall shooting occurred in the food court at Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, Indiana. Local news reports that a man with a long gun started firing and hit several, killing three and wounding two more, before a 22-year old with a legal gun permit pulled his weapon and killed the shooter.

Greenwood Police Chief James Ison said in a press conference that "a good Samaritan with a handgun" saved the day.

A meme floating around on Twitter has "death" marking only one incident of a "good guy with a gun" stopping a mass shooter.

Founder of anti-gun organization Mom's Demand, Shannon Watts wrote on Twitter, "Sadly, the takeaway by most Indiana Republicans from this senseless, preventable shooting tragedy in Greenwood won’t be that we should do more to keep assault weapons away from mass shooters and out of the mall, but that we should arm more shoppers. #inlegis"

In a now-deleted tweet, screen-shotted by Jack Posobiec, Watts responded to Republican Senator Mike Braun who thanked the brave Samaritan. Watts said, "A US Senator says enabling a civilian to access weapons of war and use them to kill three people and wound three others inside Greenwood Park Mall before another armed civilian opened fire on the gunman inside a crowded food court is a good outcome."

Posobiec also preserved an exchange with self-described retired reporter Tom Spalding, who wrote, "Person with no reason to bring a loaded firearm to a mall food court shot by a person with no reason to bring a loaded firearm to a mall food court."

Posobiec tautologically retorted with the self-evident answer that the 22-year old "did, in fact, have a reason."

Podcaster Aaron Weiss lambasted those praising the Good Samaritan who saved lives by writing, "If you think that 'only three people died because a good guy with a gun showed up' is a good outcome then you need to seriously recalibrate your morality."

Activist Jodie Moss said MAGA's were "twisting reality" and were "celebrating yesterday's tragedy."

Brady United president Kris Brown described the 22-year old as a "vigilante" and said his successful ending of the gunman's slaughter was the "NRA myth of a 'good guy with a gun.'"

In an ironic tweet, Democrat lawyer Adam B. Bear wrote, "As of July 1, 2022 - Indiana is now allowing persons to carry handguns w/o any permit. Now, it's Greenwood Park Mall south of Indianapolis with another mass shooting. Essentially, how well is this Indiana Law working?"

The 22-year-old Good Samaritan had a concealed carry firearm.