15-year-old student shot inside Omaha Northwest High School

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - A 15-year-old Omaha Northwest High School student is in stable condition after he was shot inside the school by a 14-year-old student Tuesday afternoon, according to Omaha Police.

At about 6 p.m., police were asking the public for help finding the weapon, asking anyone who finds a discarded firearm to call 911 immediately. OPD also sent out an emergency alert to those in the area of the school with that information, he said.

“We’d prefer it not to be touched unless there is a safety issue concern before officers can get there to collect it,” OPD Lt. Neal Bonacci said in an email to news media.

Less than two hours later, police said they believed they had found the weapon.

SHOOTING DETAILS

OPD Deputy Chief Sherie Thomas said in a 2 p.m. briefing that the shooting victim was found inside the school and had been taken to the hospital in critical condition. At a 4:15 p.m. update with Omaha Public Schools, she said the teen was in stable condition.

Thomas said the shooting was an isolated incident between the two students. Still, all Wednesday classes and activities at the school have been canceled, school officials said. Students will return as normal on Thursday.

She said the school resource officer reported the shooting to police at 12:23 p.m., and that police were there “immediately.”

OPD said the department sent a wireless emergency alert to the area around the school. OPS said the school went into lockdown at 12:30 p.m.

OPS said in a later update that several schools were quickly put into “secure status,” with doors locked and not one allowed in or out of the building, during the incident: Adams, Hartman, Pinewood, and Springville elementary schools, as well as Davis and Hale middle schools. Those schools were back to normal status by 2:30 p.m., with dismissal expected to proceed as normal.

Thomas said the suspect was taken into custody at 12:58 p.m. near 80th Street and Bauman Avenue after a pursuit. Sources told 6 News they were taken into custody without incident.

In a 1:21 p.m. tweet, OPD confirmed that “there is no public safety threat at this time.”

OPD’s helicopter was seen circuling the area, and crime-scene tape was put up on the campus.

The school’s lockdown was lifted at 1:30 p.m., and students were released room by room and sent to the west side of the campus near the football stadium.

After all students had been reunitied with their families, Principal Dr. Kimberly Jackson sent a letter to staff and families saying resources would be made available to help cope with the aftermath of Tuesday’s incident.

“We will have supports available for students and staff. It will take time to process what happened today. It is okay to struggle. To be upset. To be angry. We will be here for one another,” she said in the letter.

OPS Superintended Matthew Ray echoed those sentiments in his statment, posted to the alerts page at 5 p.m.

“Please give yourself grace as we navigate the time ahead. Look out for one another and speak up if someone needs help,” he said.

SUPPORT AVAILABLE

Students and families in need of immediate support were urged to call Safe2Help Nebraska at 1-833-980-7233 anytime day or night to get help. Staff in need of support were urged to utilize Employee Assistance Program or state Safe2Help resources as needed.

In the minutes and hours in the aftermath of the shooting, both the school district and police urged patience as they worked to get students released to their families.

“Law enforcement has a perimeter around the school campus. While we know there is no place families would rather be than with their student, we ask that families avoid campus and await guidance as we learn more,” OPS said in their 1 p.m. update.

OPS shared details about how students would be released:

• Students who ride buses will be transported from campus first.
• Once that is complete, students who do not ride the bus each day will be released to families who are on site.
• Students who walk or drive themselves to school each day will then be released.

OPS said in a 3 p.m. update, as buses were set to depart, that the majority of students at Northwest High School had been reunited with family at the school, with staff waiting with those students still awaiting pickup. In a 3:30 p.m. update, school officials confirmed that all students at the school had been reunited with their families.

“As a parent, I know the wait to reunite with students must be agonizing for families. We are so grateful for their patience and grace,” OPS Ray said in the 5 p.m. update.

SCHOOL SECURITY

OPS, Nebraska’s largest school district serving about 52,000 students with 8,000 staff, doesn’t have metal detectors in the schools — but it does have security.

Each middle and high school has a staffed school resource officer; police officers apply for these positions.

“You look at the size of our schools — I don’t think metal detectors are the answer,” one OPS school official told 6 News nearly two years ago.

National research is varied about the impact of metal detectors. While Some studies show students are less likely to carry a weapon, other studies show the presence of a metal detector may detrimentally impact student perceptions of safety.

Superintendent Ray reiterated that the district would be cooperating fully with the police investigation into the shooting.

“The safety and well-being of our students and staff is always our top priority. We take our layers of safety measures most seriously,” he said.

OFFICIALS REACT

Read OPS Superintendent Matthew Ray’s full statement to staff and families:

Omaha Public Schools community,

Our schools are special communities. Every day, 8,000 staff learn and grow alongside 52,000 amazing young people. That means everything to me.

We are devastated by what happened at Northwest High today. Our thoughts are with the young person who was hurt and their family.

Thank you to the Northwest High students and staff who showed incredible courage while following our Standard Response Protocol. Thank you to the law enforcement officers and first responders who rushed in to help. As a parent, I know the wait to reunite with students must be agonizing for families. We are so grateful for their patience and grace.

We will cooperate fully with the investigation to come. The safety and well-being of our students and staff is always our top priority. We take our layers of safety measures most seriously.

Supports are available for Northwest High students and staff. Students, families and staff throughout our school district can access resources at any time through Safe2Help Nebraska and our Omaha Public Schools Employee Assistance Program.

If you ever have concerns, please contact a school administrator, law enforcement or Safe2Help Nebraska at 1-833-980-7233.

Please give yourself grace as we navigate the time ahead. Look out for one another and speak up if someone needs help.

Read Principal Dr. Kimberly Jackson’s full message sent to staff and families:

Dear Northwest High staff, students and families,

Our school is our second home. It is where we learn together and build a community that unites families and spans generations. Northwest students, staff and families are so incredibly dear to me.

I cannot adequately express my gratitude to everyone who responded today. Our students and staff followed the Standard Response Protocol, showing incredible strength and courage. Omaha Police and Omaha Fire rushed to campus and secured our school. District staff and safety teams coordinated our reunification process. Families showed patience and grace through what must have been an agonizing wait to hold their loved one again.

Our hearts are with our young person who was hurt today and their family.

Having completed our reunification process and students at home, evening activities will be canceled. Tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, will be a non-student day at Northwest High. We will welcome students back on Thursday, Sept. 12.

We will have supports available for students and staff. It will take time to process what happened today. It is okay to struggle. To be upset. To be angry. We will be here for one another.

Open communication is important to us. We have shared updates every 30 minutes throughout the afternoon, and this will mark the final communication in that series of updates.

If you or someone you know needs immediate support, students and families can call 1-833-980-7233 24/7. Staff may access Employee Assistance Program resources in OneOPS.

Please take care through the time to come. We are here for you.

Congressman Don Bacon released a statement shortly after the incident Tuesday afternoon:

"We are saddened and angered about the shooting at Omaha Northwest High School and pray for the student’s recovery. Thanks to the first responders who swiftly tended to the victim’s needs and apprehended the suspect.

At this time, it is premature to say what actions should be taken as we don’t know how the suspect obtained the weapon, where it happened, etc.”

Gov. Jim Pillen and his wife, Suzanne, also released a statement:

“Based on initial information, everyone at the school responded in an appropriate way. We are especially grateful for the swift action by local and state law enforcement to get to the scene and also secure a suspect. We know this was traumatic for everyone at the school and the parents of students at Northwest.”

Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert released a statement Tuesday afternoon:

“I have talked to Superintendent Ray, Chief Schmaderer and Chief Bossman about the shooting today at Northwest High School.

The immediate reaction by the School Resource Officer, school security, the school faculty and staff demonstrates the importance of training to respond to a violent incident in school.

I am grateful for the rapid response by the Omaha police and fire departments to provide medical aid to the injured student, and the arrest of the suspect.

The safety and security of students and staff in our schools is a responsibility we all take seriously and frequently evaluate. This incident will certainly be reviewed to determine if additional security steps are warranted.”

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