Skip to content
NOWCAST Tracking Severe Weather
Live Now
Advertisement

Omaha police share new details in Target active shooter incident

Omaha police share new details in Target active shooter incident
WITH BREAKING NEWS. SCARY MOMENTS IN WEST OMAHA AFTER A MAN OPENS FIRE INSIDE A TARGET STORE. GOOD EVENING. I’M JULIE CORNELL. I’M ROB MCCARTNEY. HERE’S WHAT WE’RE WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED SINCE SIX. OMAHA POLICE SAY OFFICERS AND A STATE TROOPER ENTERED THE STORE, ENCOUNTERED A GUNMAN JUST MINUTES AFTER THE SHOOTING STARTED. THEY ISSUED SEVERAL COMMANDS TO DROP THE GUN BEFORE AN OPD OFFICER SHOT AND KILLED THE SUSPECT. OFFICERS STILL HAVEN’T RELEASED THAT SUSPECT’S NAME, BUT THEY SAY HE WAS ARMED WITH A RIFLE AND 39 LOADED MAGAZINES. EARLIER THIS EVENING, POLICE TOLD A CAR OUT OF THE PARKING LOT PRESUMED TO BE THE SUSPECTS. NOW OMAHA’S NEWS-LEADER HAS LIVE TEAM COVERAGE TONIGHT. ALEX MCLUHAN AND QUANECIA FRASER SPENT THE DAY TALKING WITH EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS WHO WERE THERE WHEN THE SHOOTING STARTED. AND SARA FEELEY SPOKE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ABOUT THE RESPONSE TO TODAY’S EVENT. FIRST, BILL SCHNEIDER IS HERE TO BREAK DOWN THE LATEST IN THE INVESTIGATION. BILL ROBB, JULIE, WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE THE SUSPECT’S NAME BY NOW, BUT THAT’S NOT THE CASE. OMAHA POLICE ARE STILL WAITING TO NOTIFY FAMILY. BUT IN A SITUATION THAT SEEMINGLY COULD HAVE GOTTEN SO MUCH WORSE, THE SUSPECT WAS THE ONLY PERSON KILLED. BEFORE THE SIRENS MADE IT TO TARGET OFF OF WEST CENTER. IT WAS THE SOUND OF GUNSHOTS WAS LIKE, THAT CAN’T BE A GUNSHOT. THAT’S ITS TARGET. I’M AT WORK. I’VE NEVER HEARD A GUNSHOT BEFORE. IT WAS JUST VERY SURREAL. AND WHEN I HEARD MY COWORKER WRITTEN BY, I JUST I WAS LIKE, OH, THIS IS REAL. I HAVE TO GET OUT. OMAHA, A COMMUNITY THAT’S NO STRANGER TO ACTIVE SHOOTERS, FACE WITH THIS SITUATION AGAIN, I WAS SCARED THAT THIS IS HOW I MIGHT DIE AT WORK. IT WAS JUST TERRIFYING TO BE THE FIRST NINE ONE. ONE CALLS CAME IN AT 11:59 A.M. BY 12:05 P.M. POLICE SAY THE SHOOTER WAS SHOT AND KILLED BY AN OMAHA OFFICER WITH HIS SERVICE WEAPON AFTER IGNORING VERBAL COMMANDS. EVERYBODY IN THERE’S IN THE CITY RESPONDED TO THIS CALL. IF THEY WERE ABLE TO. THE FIRST ARRIVING OFFICERS WENT INTO THE BUILDING, CONFRONTED THE SUSPECT AND SHOT HIM DEAD. THE SUSPECT WAS A WHITE MALE IN HIS EARLY THIRTIES FROM THE METRO ARMED WITH AN AR 15 STYLE RIFLE AND 32 MAGAZINES OF AMMUNITION. OMAHA POLICE ARE TRAINED NOT TO HESITATE TO ACTIVE SHOOTER INCIDENT LIKE THIS. WE’VE LEARNED A LOT FROM OTHER OTHER JURISDICTIONS, OTHER AREAS, OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE UNFORTUNATELY EXPERIENCED THIS. WE ENTER RIGHT AWAY. WE’RE TRAINED TO DO SO, WHETHER IT’S ONE OFFICER OR TEN. WE GO INSIDE AND WE NEUTRALIZE THE THREAT. AND OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES, IT’S A SITUATION THAT BOYS AND GIRLS, MEN AND WOMEN, AVERAGE CITIZENS ARE ALSO TRAINED FOR. SO A LOT OF ADRENALINE THAT HAPPENS IN THE SITUATION. BUT REALLY THROUGHOUT YOUR WHOLE LIFE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, YOU TRAIN FOR EVENTS LIKE THIS. 1159 TO 1205 THAT’S 6 MINUTES BETWEEN THE FIRST 911 CALL AND THE SHOOTER DOWN. OMAHA POLICE CHIEFS SAY TODAY THIS IS EXACTLY HOW HE WANTS HIS WAR DEPARTMENT TO RESPOND IN
Advertisement
Omaha police share new details in Target active shooter incident
Omaha police have revealed more details in the Tuesday afternoon active shooter incident at a west Omaha Target. OPD said they responded to a report of an active shooter inside the Target, located near 178th Street and West Center Road, at 11:59 a.m. — they received assistance from multiple county, state and federal agencies. Investigators said the man had fired multiple shots inside the store — he had an AR-15-style rifle and 13 loaded rifle magazines in his possession.Authorities said uniformed OPD patrol officers and a Nebraska state trooper arrived at the Target, where they encountered a white man armed with a rifle upon entering.Officers said numerous loud verbal commands were directed at the suspect, ordering him to drop the rifle.An OPD officer then fired their service handgun, striking and killing the suspect. Fire personnel later declared him dead.Before declaring the scene safe, police said officers conducted three searches of the store after encountering the gunman, finding bullet casings but no victims. Douglas County 911 said they received at least 29 calls regarding the incident.OPD is urging anyone on-scene at the time of the incident who didn't speak with officers to call 402-444-4877.They said the suspect will be identified once next of kin has been contacted — the investigation is ongoing. Get the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7

Omaha police have revealed more details in the Tuesday afternoon active shooter incident at a west Omaha Target.

OPD said they responded to a report of an active shooter inside the Target, located near 178th Street and West Center Road, at 11:59 a.m. — they received assistance from multiple county, state and federal agencies.

Advertisement

Investigators said the man had fired multiple shots inside the store — he had an AR-15-style rifle and 13 loaded rifle magazines in his possession.

Authorities said uniformed OPD patrol officers and a Nebraska state trooper arrived at the Target, where they encountered a white man armed with a rifle upon entering.

Officers said numerous loud verbal commands were directed at the suspect, ordering him to drop the rifle.

An OPD officer then fired their service handgun, striking and killing the suspect. Fire personnel later declared him dead.

Before declaring the scene safe, police said officers conducted three searches of the store after encountering the gunman, finding bullet casings but no victims.

Douglas County 911 said they received at least 29 calls regarding the incident.

OPD is urging anyone on-scene at the time of the incident who didn't speak with officers to call 402-444-4877.

They said the suspect will be identified once next of kin has been contacted — the investigation is ongoing.

Get the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7