Nine Dead in Nebraska Mall Shooting

OMAHA, Neb. --

Omaha police said nine people were dead, including the alleged shooter, after shots were fired inside the Von Maur store at Westroads Mall on Wednesday afternoon.

Five more were injured, two critically, police said. Police asked family members to go to the Hampton Inn at Westroads to learn more from police.

At 4:30 p.m., Rollie Yost, in the Sarpy County Sheriff's Office, said shortly after the shooting, a woman walked into its office with a note that "could be interpreted as suicidal." Yost said the note is believed to be connected to the Westroads shooting. Yost said the note contained information from a 19-year-old man.

Yost said Sarpy County is working with Omaha police.

Omaha police Sgt. Teresa Negron said there are nine fatalities. She said officers found the suspected shooter dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Negron could not describe the shooter, but said he was a male. Negron said most of the victims were inside Von Maur.

Creighton University Medical Center said it had three victims and two were fatalities. The dead were a man and a woman, and no further details were released.

The Nebraska Medical Center said it has three gunshot victims, all wounded but alive. Paul Vaultus, at NMC, said a 61-year-old man was shot in the chest and was in surgery before 3:45 p.m. A 34-year-old man had a wound and was in fair condition. A 55-year-old man had cuts to the face.

Police said they believe the gunman used a rifle. Police said he was found on the third floor.

Negron said every available officer in the city was sent to the mall, and it took six minutes from the time of the call for the first officers to arrive. She said that at 4 p.m., officers were inside the mall talking to every person inside.

The Von Maur corporate headquarters in Davenport, Iowa, sent a statement to media: "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. We are cooperating fully with the Omaha and Nebraska state police departments."

The Omaha Fire Department's Robert Dahlquist said his units were responsible for taking seven victims from the scene. He said two of those people died at hospital. The gunman was not among those transported.

Witness Accounts Vary

Shoppers and workers scattered and took cover, police and witnesses said.

Witness reports vary widely. Jennifer Kramer, a witness who said she was hiding in a men's room with her mother at Von Maur, said she heard 35 to 40 shots as she was taking cover inside the mall. A Westroads kiosk worker, Kathy, told KETV NewsWatch 7 that she heard three pops. She said a Bath and Body Works manager approached her and told her to get out of the mall hallway as there was a situation, and a shooter had not been located.

Another witness said he heard four or five shots in rapid succession. Shawn Vidlak said he was told while he was inside the mall that as many as five people had been injured.

Colby Barak told KETV NewsWatch 7 that she was on lockdown inside Westroads Mall. She said she was doing Christmas shopping at Younkers, and an announcement was made that no one would be allowed to leave. Just before 2 p.m., Barrett said, another announcement was made that shoppers could leave but would not be allowed back in.

A group of paramedics made their way into Von Maur at about 2:25 p.m.

Doug, a shopper at the mall, said police are restricting the movements of people inside the mall.

Outside the mall, shoppers were seen leaving with their hands over their heads.

Inside a first-floor dressing room at Von Maur, Julie used her cell phone to call KETV NewsWatch 7 and report that she was with a group of girls and they were scared. Julie said she heard noise getting closer, but she didn't know what had happened. She said she went out of the dressing room and saw other people in the store running and laying down, so she went back into the dressing room.