Omaha school shooting began with a fight between 2 boys, court documents say
Court documents say the shooting that critically injured a 15-year-old at an Omaha high school began with a physical fight between two boys before one used a gun hidden inside his hoodie to shoot the other in the stomach
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The shooting that critically injured a 15-year-old at an Omaha high school Tuesday began with a physical fight between two boys before one used a gun hidden inside his hoodie to shoot the other in the stomach, according to court documents.
The 14-year-old suspect is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon to face charges of first-degree felony assault, two weapons charges and tampering with evidence. He was arrested a few blocks away from Omaha's Northwest High School about half an hour after the shooting was reported just after midday.
Court documents say a security camera at the school showed the victim approach the suspect before the fight began. The suspect had his right hand inside the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt before firing once and the victim dropped to the ground. The video showed the suspect holding the gun before putting it back in his pocket and leaving.
Police recovered the gun they believe was used in the shooting Tuesday evening after searching the neighborhood around the high school.
The victim of the shooting remained in stable condition Wednesday at an Omaha hospital, but Officer Michael Pecha said it wasn't immediately clear whether his injuries could still be life-threatening because he faces additional surgeries.
The shooting sent students running at Northwest High School before officials locked the school down. Once police secured the building, students were gradually released to their families classroom by classroom Tuesday afternoon.
The Omaha Police Department said several threats to other area schools were made on social media after Tuesday’s shooting. Investigators don’t believe any of those threats were credible, but based on what police uncovered a 14-year-old student received a long-term suspension, an 11-year-old was arrested and a 13-year-old was ticketed for their role in sending threats. Additional arrests are expected.
The Omaha shooting followed last week's school shooting in Georgia that killed two teachers and two students in the town of Winder. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded.
The attack was among dozens of school shootings across the U.S. in recent years, including especially deadly ones in Newtown, Connecticut; Parkland, Florida; and Uvalde, Texas.