GREENWOOD — The families of three people killed in the Greenwood Park Mall mass shooting in 2022 have filed wrongful death and negligence lawsuits against the mall’s owner, Simon Property Group.
On July 17, 2022, officers with the Greenwood Police Department responded to the Greenwood Park Mall at around 6 p.m. after Jonathan Sapirman, 20, emerged from the restroom of the food court and began shooting.
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After hearing the gunfire, according to police, Elisjsha Dicken, 22, of Seymour fired the handgun he was carrying and attempted to stop the shooter. His gunfire hit the gunman and killed him, according to police.
Pedro Pineda, 56, Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda, 37, and Victor Gomez, 30, were fatally shot by Sapirman, and two others were injured in the shooting.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, accuses Simon and Allied Universal Security Services of failing to prevent the shooting from happening.
The suit alleges that Simon had prior knowledge that their malls in the area had been sites for crime yet do not dedicate resources to proactively detecting suspicious activity, firearms or any other weapons.
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“In the past three years, there have been at least four shootings at Simon malls in and around Indianapolis,” the lawsuit states. “These terrifying numbers serve as a stark reminder that horrific criminal attacks are not only common but are a real and foreseeable risk any time individuals gather in public spaces, including shopping centers and other venues such as the Greenwood Park Mall.”
The lawsuit also states the mall’s security did not respond to the shooting quick enough and that there were no security personnel in the food court at the time of the shooting.
“Had the bystander with the handgun not stopped the Assailant after only approximately 15 seconds of his firing into the crowd, the Assailant could have expended hundreds of rounds, potentially killing or injuring dozens of women, men and children,” the lawsuit states.
WRTV reached out to Simon Property Group for comments but have yet to hear back.
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