People at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Indianapolis hold candles Tuesday during a vigil for the victims of Sunday’s Greenwood Park Mall shooting.
ANDY BELL-BALTACI | DAILY JOURNAL
INDIANAPOLIS — At Resurrection Lutheran Church on the southside, about 30 people gathered in prayer and reflection in the aftermath of a mass shooting that left four people dead, including the shooter, at the Greenwood Park Mall Sunday.
The Tuesday service was at a church not connected to the families of the victims—Victor Gomez, 30, and husband and wife Pedro Pineda, 56, and Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda, 37. However, Pastor Ryan Bailey said he felt it was important to provide space for the community together in the wake of the shooting, regardless of faith. The church, on Stop 11 Road, is just two miles away from the mall.
“When this happens, we don’t know what to do, but we shouldn’t get up, go to work and run errands as if nothing has changed,” Bailey said. “We have to decide what kind of community we want to live in and what steps to take.”
During the vigil, Bailey and Reader Molly Laut — who works for the city of Greenwood in marketing and community relations for the mayor’s office — helped spread the light from their candles to the ones of the attendees. Laut led prayers while Bailey led the churchgoers in song and offered reflection.
“These are dark times for our community, but God has given each of us light. We may feel helpless as bad news piles up as we wonder where to begin or what anyone should do, but we don’t give up,” Bailey said. “We wait and watch and work because we care too much to do otherwise. May God make our candles longer and our wicks longer so we can keep waiting and watching and working until the dawn comes.”
Cynthia Morraz, of Indianapolis, said she went to the vigil to support the Latino community, as all three victims were Hispanic.
“I hope that our leaders and neighbors will make an effort to extend a hand to the Latino community and let them know they’re a friend and they’ll do whatever it takes to make them safe,” Morraz said.
Discussion on gun violence shouldn’t be used to score political points, but people should contact their legislators if they want to see policy change, Bailey said.
“There are simple things regarding our policies and the permitless carry in Indiana seems like a really unfortunate change, especially now,” Bailey said. “I would like for us as individuals to think less about what are the talking points that go alongside my side of these issues and more about what community we want to live in and what do we need to do to help make that happen … We know we can do better than this.”
At the same time Monday evening, about four miles south of the church, the Greenwood City Council took a few moments to pray for the victims and their families, along with the armed bystander who stopped the shooter during their regularly scheduled city council meeting.
City council president Mike Campbell opened the meeting by asking council members, city officials and members of the public in attendance to keep the victims of the shooting in their prayers. The shooting was a tragedy that affects everyone and the city, and he feels for families of the victims, he said.
He also praised the actions of Elisjsha Dicken, the 22-year-old Seymour resident who shot the shooter and was able to stop him from shooting more people. Police and city leaders have praised Dicken as a hero and have called him a good Samaritan. Dicken was a young man who was brave enough to move toward the shooter to try to stop him, Campbell said, and he feels for what he is going through.
“He would appear to be a good individual who had no intentions of ever killing anyone, but last night was put in a situation where he felt like he needed to,” Campbell said. “Let’s keep all of them in our prayers. And we do thank Elisjsha for his bravery and hope that things will go well and God will watch over him and the families of the victims as well.”
Fifteen seconds was the total from when the first shot was fired to the time the shooter was taken down. No police officer could have arrived during that short period of time, Campbell said.
“There’s no telling how many more people would have lost their lives if Elisjsha had not been there to do what he did,” he said.
Council member Linda Gibson also thanked Dicken for his actions, and later thanked first responders thanked first responders, from both Greenwood and surrounding areas, for responding to the scene as quickly as they did and for helping with the processing of the scene.
“I’m very proud of how it was handled. … I just couldn’t be prouder of our police department and the way that they handled things,” Gibson said.
Daily Journal reporter Noah Crenshaw contributed to this report.
Fundraisers planned for victims
Two fundraisers have been planned on the behalf of Pedro Pineda and Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda, who were both killed in the shooting, to help with funeral costs.
The family and friends of Pinedas’ are raising money for their funeral by selling traditional food of El Salvador on Saturday. The event on Saturday is from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 3720 W. 30th St. in Indianapolis.
A GoFundMe has also been set up by a family friend of the Pinedas’ to help with their funerals. More than $3,395 has been raised with the fundraising goal set at $20,000.
To donate, people can go to gofund.me/a3deadc5.
Local therapist offering free sessions
Sean Copeland, who practices therapy at Evolve Therapy in Greenwood, is offering free trauma therapy sessions to anyone who was impacted by the shooting at Greenwood Park Mall. Those who are intersted should email [email protected]
