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Westroads Mall shooting

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41°15′55.80″N 96°4′3.00″W / 41.2655000°N 96.0675000°W / 41.2655000; -96.0675000

Westroads Mall shooting
LocationOmaha, Nebraska, United States
DateWednesday, December 5, 2007
TargetWestroads Mall
Attack type
Murder-suicide
Weapons SKS Assault rifle[1]
Deaths9 (including the perpetrator)
Injured5[2]
PerpetratorsRobert A. Hawkins[3]
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The Westroads Mall shooting was a murder-suicide that occurred on December 5, 2007 at the Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. The gunman was identified as 19-year-old Robert Hawkins[4] who stated in a suicide note that he wanted to "go out in style."[4] It is reported there are nine fatalities including the suicide of Hawkins.[4] Five other people are currently in critical condition.

Details

At approximately 1:40 p.m. CST, Robert Hawkins opened fire from the customer service area on the third floor of the Von Maur upscale specialty department store in the Westroads Mall, killing eight[2][5] and wounding five others, some critically, [2] before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[2][5] The gunman is believed to have fired a total of 20 shots.[2] The Omaha Police found a suicide note saying "I'm going out in style" and "I'm going to be famous." According to an Omaha Police Department spokesperson nine people, including the gunman, were confirmed dead.[6]

One man is in critical condition at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for a gunshot wound to the chest; two other victims were treated for minor injuries including a man with a gunshot wound to the arm and another elderly man with facial lacerations. At Creighton Medical Center another individual is in critical condition.[7] U.S. President George W. Bush had been in Omaha for a fundraiser earlier in the day, but he had left the city approximately an hour before the shooting occurred.[3] Additionally on the day of the shooting, a man dressed in camouflage and "hiding under a bus-stop bench outside the mall" was taken into custody by the police.[7] On Friday night, authorities removed a live grenade from the parking lot of the same mall.[8] It is unknown what, if any, connections exist between these events and the shooting.

The Von Maur corporate headquarters in Davenport, Iowa issued a statement saying, "We are deeply saddened by the horrific shooting at our Omaha store this afternoon. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this tragic event, as well as their families."[2]

Perpetrator

The gunman has been described as a tall male, possibly wearing camouflage or military-type clothing.[9] Also, a note that could be interpreted as a suicide note was turned over to the Sarpy County Sheriff's Department shortly after the shooting. The note, which is reported to read "I'm going out in style"[7], was written by a 19 year-old male named Robert A. Hawkins of Bellevue, Nebraska, who subsequently has been identified by the police as the gunman.[1]

Hawkins was arrested on November 24, 2007, for two misdemeanors, one of which was underage possession of alcohol. He was due in court for an arraignment on December 19, 2007.[1]

He had recently been fired from his job at McDonald's.[1]

Police are in the process of securing a warrant to search the house (located in the Quail Creek Neighborhood) where he has been living with friends.[1] His guardian at the time of the incident told media sources that Robert A. Hawkins was depressed having lost his job and his girlfriend breaking up with him.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Victim Feels 'Exceedingly Lucky':Mall Shooter Remembered As Funny, Depressed". KETV. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Gunman opens fire at Omaha mall, kills 8, self". MSNBC. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Cite error: The named reference "msnbc" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b "Man opens fire at Omaha mall, killing 8". Yahoo! News. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b c "Gunman Kills 8 People, Then Himself at a Mall in Omaha". The New York Times. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ a b "Nine People Killed in Mall Shooting". Action 3 News. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "'Go out in style': Man opens fire in Omaha mall, killing 8". Edmonton Sun. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ a b c "Gunman Kills Eight, Then Kills Himself, at Omaha Shopping Mall". Fox News. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Cite error: The named reference "foxnews" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Grenade Found Last Week At Same Mall". KETV. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ "9 dead, including suspect, in Omaha mall shooting". New York Daily News. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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