David Matthews
New York Daily News
(TNS)
Omaha cops on Tuesday fatally shot a man who fired an AR-15-style rifle inside a Target store.
Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said the man had “plenty of ammunition,” but did not say how many shots he fired. No wounded people were found after the store was searched.
The incident happened around noon and police received multiple calls, the chief said.
“The first arriving officers went into the building, confronted the suspect and shot him dead,” Schmaderer said at a news conference.
The gunman was described as white and in his 30s. No other details were made available.
Lt. Neal Bonacci, a police spokesperson, said the officers handled the situation by the book.
“We’ve learned a lot from other jurisdictions, other areas, other cities that have unfortunately experienced this,” he said. “We enter right away. We’re trained to do so. Whether it’s one officer or 10, we go inside and neutralize the threat.”
Cathy Mahannah, a 62-year-old grandmother, was near the store’s entrance when she heard a banging noise and saw people rushing toward the exit.
She fled the store after another customer said there was an active shooter.
“The moments in that parking lot were terrifying when I heard the shots and thought, ‘Where do I hide? I don’t know what to do,’” she said.
One employee hid in the store’s bathroom on top of a toilet until police said it was safe.
While hiding from the shooter, 18-year-old Elianne an Omaha Target employee, captured this video where you can hear a gunshot. @OmahaPolice fatally shot the gunman. No one else was injured in the shooting. We'll have the latest at 10 o'clock pic.twitter.com/lSjucdtiJQ
— Megan Conway (@MConwayKLKN) February 1, 2023
“I was scared that this is how I might die at work,” Lauren Murphy, 21, said. “It was just terrifying.”
A Target spokesperson said all customers and workers were evacuated safely and the store would be closed indefinitely.
With News Wire Services
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