Current Events

Mall Shooting In Nebraska

Nebraska, Omaha, shooting, mall, Van Maur

Another unthinkable tragedy at an American mall.


These families and friends of the affected have truly endured the worst in this world today. I would just like people to understand the suffering that took place today. '
By Citizen Correspondent Brinton Strohmyer , Omaha, Nebraska
Date Posted: 12/05/07
Reader Rating: rating

I drive by the mall on the way home. I live very close to the mall. I work across the street from the mall. The mall where eight people were killed by a gunman today, who then killed himself. It was by far the longest afternoon in my life.

On my way home from work, I noticed that an undercover police car was racing towards the mall. I made it home and was on the Internet, checking on the weather when I noticed the news flash on the top of my screen.

I didn't think too much of it at the time. I turned on the TV and it said that shots rang out at Van Maur and that police scanners had reported that "five people were down."

Nothing really was known at the time. I was getting ready to go back to work and was checking up on the traffic report. I hated to go back to the area, in fear that I would be in the way. They said that authorities had blocked off traffic into the mall, but that 102 (a street that goes around the mall) was fine.

I decided to drive around the mall, since that is my quickest way to work. At the stop light, cars were backed up 4 to 5 blocks solid. I looked at everyone in their cars, and everyone was on their cell phones.

As I got closer to the mall I started seeing the emergency vehicles, then the helicoptor. I couldn't believe it. I managed to get around and get close to the bus stop, where I noticed police had baracaded the mall.

At that time they didn't know where the shooter was. They were letting people out of the mall parking lot, but not before stopping vehicles to check them. I kept driving and noticed the FBI was also all over the place. An FBI agent got out of his van and stood in the intersection in his bulletproof vest.

I finally arrived back at work, but no work was getting done.


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Comments

Re: Mall Shooting In Nebraska

By Heather Wallace, December 6, 2007 at 15:38

Make it harder to get guns. Radical idea.

Re: Mall Shooting In Nebraska

By senhoritacin, December 6, 2007 at 14:05

Insane situation, good job writing about it.
:)

Re: Mall Shooting In Nebraska

By luyen, December 6, 2007 at 12:44

This is really an unthinkable, horrific event - the fact that it is happening on a regular basis in North America makes it seem only worse, like when an epidemic hits, you know it affects everyone. I think sooner or later, or at the expense of our civilization, we have to look at ourselves in the mirror, as friends, families, spouses, parents and so forth - and say, it's not okay this way. We have to put an end to the anger and revenge mentality that underlies our "get rich or die trying" mentality... - it starts small, but then grows into a 19 year old with a rifle, truly a sad and tragic thing.

Re: Mall Shooting In Nebraska

By Paul Sullivan, December 6, 2007 at 08:59

Paul Sullivan,
Editor-In-Chief

Brinton, thanks for your timely report. I'm sure that everyone who comes to this site will take a moment to reflect on this tragedy. I've said it before, but I guess I might as well keep saying it until someone listens, but why is it necessary to make assault weapons available to unstable young men, who are assured of a moment's notoriety if they're desperate and angry enough to walk into a mall and mow down a dozen or so innocent people? This guy even said that mass murder would make him famous, which would be a consolation after feeling like "garbage" for 19 years. It's a scary combination of a weird kind of video game mentality and rage. Whatever the founding fathers envisioned, it wasn't this.

Paul

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