GREENWOOD, Ind. — NOTE: Bella’s mom gave photos of her injury to 13News with permission to share them with you. Some of the images below are graphic and might be difficult to see.
A mother described the chaotic scene that unfolded after a gunman opened fire at the Greenwood Park Mall, killing three people and shooting her 12-year-old daughter in the back as she ran to safety.
Alison Dick said her daughters, 11-year-old Abby, 12-year-old Bella and 14-year-old Audrey were shopping with their grandmother on Sunday.
It was just before 6 p.m. when the family saw a man come out of the bathroom and start shooting in the food court at the mall.
Gunfire rang out and chaos erupted.
Audrey and Bella were separated from their grandmother and, as they ran away, Alison said Bella felt a "stab" in her back.
The suspect, identified as a 20-year-old man, had two rifles, a handgun and several magazines of ammunition, but he only used one of the rifles.
He shot and killed three people before being killed by a Elisjsha Dicken, an armed bystander. Police identified the dead as 56-year-old Pedro Pineda, his wife, 37-year-old Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda and 30-year-old Victor Gomez.
Bella and Audrey were able to get away as the shooting unfolded. When they were safe, they borrowed a person's phone so they could call their mom and tell her what happened.
Alison went to the mall and tried to hug Bella, but the 12-year-old wouldn't let her. Alison said she told her mom that her back hurt, she didn't realize that she had been shot.
This is when Alison said she discovered Bella had a piece of a bullet lodged in her back next to her spine.
The family quickly called 911 and Bella was taken to the hospital via an ambulance to have the bullet fragment removed.
According to Alison, Greenwood Chief of Police Jim Ison visited their family Monday morning.
Alison said her daughter is a "tough cookie" and "she's gonna be fine."
Police said a 22-year-old woman was also injured in the shooting. She was hit in the leg as the gunman fired shots into the food court area.