Halloween celebrations in Nebraska turned violent when a man ran through a barricade area and was shot by an Omaha police officer Monday night, authorities said.
According to the KMTV medium, the man behind the wheel was seriously injured. Officials have not released the suspect’s name at this time.
The officers stated that no one else was seriously injured.
The Omaha World-Herald said the shooting took place during the popular annual “Halloween on the Boulevard” party in Omaha’s Minne Lusa neighborhood. The outlet cited a Facebook post that said event organizers expected about 3,000 children to attend.
Adult and children were in the neighborhood trick-or-treating when a vehicle being recklessly driven by the man in question through a blocked off area shortly after 7: 00 that night, reported Neal Bonacci, an Omaha police lieutenant.
“I was speeding up,” Bonacci told CBS News. “We have him on camera speeding near pedestrians. One of our officers fired his gun and hit the driver. He is in serious condition last night. It is unclear at this time if any pedestrians were injured. It is not clear if the driver was intoxicated.”
A resident of the area, Chrissy Lopez, told the Omaha media World-Herald that the car initially drove slowly through the crowd as people yelled at the man to stop.
“He would stop and then drive a little more,” she said. “I heard his engine rev up and people started screaming, and I thought ‘Oh no.’ And then I heard the shots, and everyone started screaming and running and crying.”
Police officers and firefighters were already on site for the block party, which was organized by the Miller Park Minne Lusa Neighborhood Association and draws thousands of people to the area every year.
The shooting is under investigation.
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