Seven people, including four children, have been shot by a neighbor who once told them to “go back to where they came from” and “to speak English,” according to law enforcement.
Police in Crete, Nebraska, outside of Lincoln, responded to a shooting on Friday afternoon. The shooting victims, all of whom are reportedly Hispanic, are expected to survive.
Nebraska State Patrol has said that 74-year-old Billy Booth discharged his firearm at neighbors from inside his home before using the gun to take his own life.
About 15 people were present at the home with most of the victims outside when they were struck by the gunshots.
Police said that three victims are adults, aged between 22 and 43, and four are kids aged between three and 10. Some have been treated and released from hospital. One person is being treated in Lincoln and two others are being treated in Omaha, according to KETV.
Law enforcement found several victims with gunshot wounds at the scene on Friday, and located the suspect in his home. A shotgun was found close to his body.
Booth and his neighbors are thought to have had prior disputes but no conflict immediately preceded the shooting, according to police. Previous disputes included arguments over parking and other issues.
Nebraska State Patrol Col John Bolduc said during a press briefing on Saturday that several 911 calls were made about an active shooter situation at about 4.33pm on Friday. As police arrived at the scene, they could hear gunshots. A single gunshot was heard from a home across the street.
It remains unclear who lives at the targeted home and who was visiting.
“It was quickly determined that all gunfire had come from a single residence at 1810 Parkland Street,” Bolduc said, according to NBC News.
He said that a SWAT team arrived at the scene to detain what they thought was a “barricaded suspect.” Entering the residence at about 6.40pm, they found Booth dead.
“Preliminary investigation shows that all rounds fired by Booth came from inside of his house,” Bolduc said.
“Investigators are still actively working this investigation to understand everything that occurred, but at this point, we don’t believe there was any verbal contact between the suspect and any of the victims in the moments that led up to the shooting.”
Crete police chief Gary Young Jr said on Saturday that since 2021 police have responded to a number of complaints, mostly coming from Booth, regarding “driving behavior.”
“Not necessarily associated with the victims’ house, but cars driving too fast in the neighborhood, improper parking, nuisance properties, quality-of-life type issues,” Young said. “There was a single report from the victims that the suspect had flipped them off, told them to ‘Go home’ or ‘back to where they came from,’ to ‘Speak English.’”
The family chose not to take the case any further, Young added.
“That resolved the situation, so we had no further contact,” he said, adding that there “could be” a racial element to the shooting.
“Certainly the context of ‘Go home’ and ‘Speak English’ lends itself to that,” Young said. But he added that the motive is still being investigated.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
