President George W. Bush, visited Omaha earlier on Wednesday morning, he had left the city hours before the incident.
(OMAHA, Nebraska) - Police in Omaha, Nebraska say a 19-year-old man opened fire with a rifle in a crowded shopping center today, killing eight Christmas shoppers before taking his own life. It happened in Omaha's Westroads Mall.
Topix.com reports that the shooter from Sarpy County left a suicide note saying, "I'm going out in style." Nebraska television station KETV identified the dead assailant as 19-year old Robert Hawkins.
Witnesses told TV reporters a frightening story. Two women were shopping together when they narrowly averted personal tragedy. One woman said, "I was standing near the escalator and we heard loud booms. I don't think anybody believed they were gunshots. We hid out in a clothes rack."
The witness told the station that 35-40 shots rang out. "They were just echoing through the whole thing. And on our way out we did see somebody down by the escalator, bleeding."
Her friend said it was a tense ordeal, "Well I heard the popping sound, so I said 'Jenny, are those gunshots?' And she said, 'yeah, come on' so we ran and we hid out until the police were coming through and we had to put up our hands and follow the police through to the outside."
The woman said she felt very fortunate to be alive, "You know, you're in such shock, and I just kept hoping that God would spare us."
At least five people were injured in addition to those who were killed.
Other witnesses reported hiding in bathrooms, closets and even under racks of clothes. Victims were shot point-blank, another struck in the top of the head from a third-floor balcony, according to those who survived. A number of victims were in line to have gifts wrapped at the upscale department store Von Maur.
One witness at JC Pennys told police that the gunman rushed past her with a very large rifle which reportedly was an M16. She said the man behaved in a bizarre manner and shot all the stuffing out of a teddy bear.
The shooter, Robert Hawkins, has had a recent brush with the law; arrested last month on an open container of alcohol charge. He reportedly said he was from Bellevue, Nebraska, but was actually living in Quail Creek, near Omaha.
KETV also said that a man who describing himself as a friend of Hawkins, said the deceased shooter had moved from one low-wage job to another, and was taking prescription medication for depression, as well as being involved in other unhealthy behavior.
KETV said Hawkins had been arrested in the past month on minor charges, including having an open container of alcohol and delinquency.
President George W. Bush, visited Omaha earlier on Wednesday morning, he had left the city hours before the incident.
Courtesy of YouTube:
This video has no audio, but it shows people emerging from the mall where the fatal shooting occurred.
This clip from KETV and CNN shows more witnesses describing the shooting scene at Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska.
Eight Victims and Suicidal Gunman Die in Nebraska Mall (VIDEO)Salem-News.com