A good guy with a gun saved countless lives at an Indiana mall on Sunday night, stopping a mass shooter before he could cause more mayhem and carnage. CBS Mornings on dispatched that inconvenient part of the story in one sentence and allowed just 26 seconds to the story overall.
What’s probably more shocking, however, is that ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today devoted substantial coverage to it. GMA offered three minutes and four seconds and even featured the Greenwood chief of police who said this:
The real hero of the day is the citizen that was lawfully carrying a firearm in that food court and was able to stop the shooter almost as soon as he began.
Reporter Alex Perez explained, “A good Samaritan being hailed the hero after he shot and killed the shooter with his own gun.” He added of the so-far unidentified man: “Police say the heroic 22-year-old man who stopped the shooting was legally carrying a firearm.”
Three people were killed, but authorities said the gunman had several magazines and was preparing to slaughter many more. Even liberal GMA co-host George Stephanopoulos allowed, “A 22-year-old who police say was legally carrying a firearm stopped the shooter.”
NBC’s Today devoted two minutes and 53 seconds to the story. Reporter Maggie Vespa noted:
Meanwhile, Indiana police aren't releasing the so-called good Samaritan's name but say the 22-year-old man was key in stopping Sunday's attack....The mayor of Greenwood, Indiana, extending his thanks to that also unnamed good Samaritan, adding in a statement this person saved lives.
In contrast, CBS Mornings allowed a scant 26 seconds and one sentence to the private citizen who saved lives:
Let's point out there have been at least 138 mass shootings in America since that day in Uvalde. Yesterday it happened at a shopping mall in Indiana. Three people were killed when a man opened fire with a rifle in a food court in Greenwood. Police said the gunman was shot and killed by a bystander who they are calling a good Samaritan. Two people were also injured including a 12-year-old girl who is expected to be okay. The motive for this latest mass shooting is still unclear.
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Partial transcripts are below. Click "expand" to read more.
CBS Mornings
7/18/2022
7:08AM ET
VLAD DUTHIERS: Let's point out there have been at least 138 mass shootings in America since that day in Uvalde. Yesterday it happened at a shopping mall in Indiana. Three people were killed when a man opened fire with a rifle in a food court in Greenwood. Police said the gunman was shot and killed by a bystander who they are calling a Good Samaritan. Two people were also injured including a 12-year-old girl who is expected to be okay. The motive for this latest mass shooting is still unclear.
Good Morning America
7/18/2022
7:02 AM ET
...ALEX PEREZ A good Samaritan being hailed the hero after he shot and killed the shooter with his own gun.
MAN: Heard the gun start pop, pop, pop, a good, 25, 30 shots and my -- a couple guys I had up front up front hit the deck.
PEREZ: Police say the heroic 22-year-old man who stopped the shooting was legally carrying a firearm.
CHIEF JIM ISON (Greenwood police department): The real hero of the day is the citizen that was lawfully carrying a firearm in that food court and was able to stop the shooter almost as soon as he began.
...
PEREZ: Authorities grateful for that good Samaritan, Amy.
...
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: A 22-year-old who police say was legally carrying a firearm stopped the shooter. Authorities say the gunman was armed with several magazines of ammunition.
...
PEREZ: Authorities say that gunman had several magazines of ammunition. They are calling that good Samaritan a hero.
Today
7/18/2022
7:08AM ET...
MAGGIE VESPA: Authorities also say this morning it was a bystander, a random good Samaritan, who stepped in to end this tragedy and ultimately kill the shooter.
...
VESPA: According to police an armed bystander shot and killed the gunman.
CHIEF JIM ISON (Greenwood police department): It appears that a good Samaritan that was armed observed the shooting in progress and shot the shooter.
...
VESPA: Meanwhile, Indiana police aren't releasing the so-called good Samaritan's name but say the 22-year-old man was key in stopping Sunday's attack....The mayor of Greenwood, Indiana, extending his thanks to that also unnamed good Samaritan, adding in a statement this person saved lives.
HODA KOTB: But while shoppers hid inside stores police say a 22-year-old man carrying a gun lawfully shot and killed the suspect. No word yet on a possible motive.
