Indiana's constitutional carry law went into effect just over two weeks before an armed civilian put a stop to a mass shooting at Greenwood Park Mall.
"Indiana's constitutional carry law has been in effect for less than three weeks, but it made it possible for Mr. Dicken to lawfully carry and courageously put a stop to a vicious attack," National Rifle Association spokesperson Lars Dalseide told Fox News.
The law, which allows residents who can legally purchase and possess a firearm to conceal and carry one outside the home without a permit, was signed by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on March 21. The legislation, which was passed by Indiana's Republican controlled legislature earlier in March, went into effect on July 1, 16 days before a gunman opened fire on shoppers in a shopping mall.
The gunman was neutralized by 22-year-old Elisjsha Dicken, who took advantage of Indiana's new law and was carrying his pistol while shopping with his girlfriend. Dicken acted fast to put a stop to the mass shooting, drawing his firearm and killing the gunman within 15 seconds of him opening fire in the crowded food court.
GUN CONTROL ADVOCATES STUNNED MAN WHO ALLEGEDLY SHOT INDIANA MALL SHOOTER LABELED 'GOOD SAMARITAN'
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (AP)
"Many more people would have died last night if not for a responsible armed citizen who took action within the first two minutes of this shooting," Greenwood Police Chief James Ison said earlier this week.
Indiana became the 24th constitutional carry state when the law was signed in March, joining Ohio and Indiana as states that had enacted similar legislation in 2022. Georgia became the 25th state to pass constitutional carry the next month, meaning half the country now legally allows law-abiding citizens to carry firearms without a permit.
The four states joined Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming, which already had similar laws on the books entering 2022.
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The effort to spread constitutional carry across the country has been a legislative priority of the NRA for over 20 years, Dalseide told Fox News.
"For more than two decades the National Rifle Association has been passing constitutional carry laws throughout the country because it protects the rights of law-abiding people to bear arms in defense of themselves and others," he said.
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