Greenwood Park Mall shooting: Indiana’s permitless gun law explained

A gunman opened fire in the Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, Indiana, leaving four dead, including the shooter, and injuring three others. The shooting is yet another in a long, bloody line of shootings that have occurred in the U.S. over the last seven months.

Also Read: Greenwood Park Mall shooting in Indiana leave at least 3 dead

Senior Senator, Republican Todd Young, took to Twitter, calling the shooting “terrible news” and that he was “praying for the victims” at the Greenwood Park Mall. He thanked law enforcement officials for responding to the situation. 

Also Read: Greenwood Park Mall shooting: Senator Todd Young reacts

The gun used in the shooting is not clear. However, Twitter users have been quick to point out that the shooting comes just over three weeks after Governor Eric Holcomb signed a bill that removes the license requirement for carrying a handgun in Indiana. The bill, called HEA 1296 was signed on March 21, 2022. According to the wording of the bill, which went into effect on July 1, 2022, most residents above the age of 18 would be allowed to carry, conceal or transport a handgun without any sort of background check. 

It doesn’t mean that permits will be done away with. Residents who would like a license will receive one, it will also be required if one is travelling to a state that Indiana has reciprocity with. Interstingly, Indiana is one of 23 states that have a similar law. Most recently, Ohio signed a similar permitless carry bill. 

The HEA 1296 bill was met by opposition from the head of the Indiana State Police, Superintendent Douglas Carter. The kicker? Carter was appointed by Holcomb himself. According to various reports, Carter critcised the decision while it was being discussed, saying that a “supermajority” referring to Republican lawmakers in the state “prohibits, often times limits public debate.”

Gun control has long been a point of contention across the country and has often been a point of contention between Democrat and Republican voters. The Highland Park shooting in Illinois created a stir amongst voters as many Democrats called for stricter gun law. So too did the recent school shooting tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman shot up an elementary school, leaving 19 children and two teachers dead, drew widespread condemnation from both sides of the political aisle. 

In fact, a Pew Research Center study from 2021 showed that just over half of Americans felt that the country needed stricter gun laws. It showed that 73% of Democrats felt that stricter gun control would make the number of mass shootings come down. Meanwhile, only 20% of Republicans believe the statement to be true, while 80% believe that stricter gun laws would likely have no effect or increase on the number of mass shootings. 

However, U.S. lawmakers have not been able to make any headway in picking a direction towards legislating on gun control in the country.