Authorities said a neighbor who had previously advised his shooting victims to “go back to where they came from” and “to speak English” opened fire, hitting seven, four of whom were children.
Near Lincoln, Nebraska, in the town of Crete, police were called about gunshots on Friday afternoon. All of the victims of the incident are believed to be Hispanic, and they are all expected to make it. The 74-year-old Billy Booth allegedly shot his neighbors from inside his home before he shot himself, according to the Nebraska State Patrol. Shots were fired at 15 people—the majority of whom were outside the house.
Three adults, ranging in age from 22 to 43, and four children, ranging from three to ten, are among the wounded, according to the police. They have treated some of them and sent them home. Two individuals are receiving treatment in Omaha, while one is being attended to in Lincoln. On Friday, police rolled up to find multiple people wounded by gunshots and saw the perpetrator in his residence. Near his lifeless body, authorities discovered a shotgun.
Though there was no confrontation leading up to the shooting, authorities believe that Booth and his neighbors had a history of animosity. Parking and other matters have been the source of prior disagreements. Several 911 reports regarding an active shooter incident were received at around 4:33 pm on Friday, according to Nebraska State Patrol Col. John Bolduc.
Police officers could hear gunfire as they approached the location. The shots were being fired from inside a house toward a neighboring home.
On Saturday, Crete Police Chief Gary Young Jr. stated that, since 2021, officers had dealt with many complaints, most of which have been from Booth, about “driving behavior.”
Joshua Morales, a friend of one of the victims, told reporters that the gunman had made inflammatory comments and “shot the house up” in the past. He added that Booth shot his friend and his friend’s mother.
The police are still investigating the motive.
