OMAHA, Neb. - A gunman opened fire at a busy Omaha mall, killing at least eight people, wounding at least five others and then killing himself, police officials said.
The gunman left a ******* note that was found at his home, said a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak. Police told NBC affiliate WOWT-TV that the note said he wanted to "go out in style."
The official identified the gunman as 19-year-old Robert A. Hawkins.
Witnesses said the shooter pointed a rifle over a third-floor balcony and opened fire in Van Maur department store at Westroads Mall.
A Von Maur employee said he heard a burst of five to six shots followed by 15 to 20 shots. Witnesses said the shooter appeared to be firing randomly. Authorities gave no motive for the attack and did not know whether the man said anything during the rampage.
Police received a 911 call from someone inside the mall, and shots could be heard in the background, Negron said. By the time officers arrived six minutes later, the shooting was over, she said.
The gunman was found dead on the third floor with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and his victims were discovered on the second and third floors, police said.
Negron said every officer in the city was sent to the mall.
Sgt. Teresa Negron said the shooter, who had not yet been identified, acted alone. Police locked the mall down after the attack. Officials were interviewing many witnesses in the facility.
At least seven were taken to local trauma centers. Two of these people died from their injuries, and two others were in critical condition. There was no immediate word on the other victims' conditions.
Von Maur corporate headquarters in Davenport, Iowa, released a statement to the media. "We are deeply saddened by the horrific shooting at our Omaha store this afternoon," it said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this tragic event, as well as their families. We are cooperating fully with the Omaha and Nebraska state police departments."
'I'm going out in style'
Police told WOWT-TV that the gunman was from Bellevue, Neb.
The man lived with another family, who has been barred from the home as police search the residence, WOWT-TV reported. The man’s vehicle was found in the mall parking lot. Bellevue is in Sarpy County, which is south of Omaha and is home to Offutt Air Force Base.
He had recently been homeless and was living with another family who had taken him in because he was friends with her sons, whom he knew from school, WOWT-TV reported.
Hawkins recently “got a job and was getting on his feet,” said the woman, whose name was being withheld pending the investigation. But Wednesday afternoon, “he called very upset and said he'd gotten fired from his job” at a fast-food restaurant.
“I wish we could have done something more for him. We were just trying to help him get on his feet,” the woman said. “He was very troubled, very troubled — very confused, I imagine.”
Neighbors said they had seen Hawkins coming and going but never thought he would ever have erupted in violence.
“I never expected anything like this to happen,” said Steven Burke, a neighbor. “I have one 17-year-old and two older kids — it’s very terrifying."
The man had a police record and served seven days in jail for disorderly conduct last year, police told WOWT-TV.
Witnesses describe arrests, attack
Two people were arrested at the mall's bus stop, WOWT-TV reported. Negron said police officials were arresting anybody who in any way matched conflicting reports of a description of the shooter.
The description of the shooter broadcast over scanners was that he was wearing an Army-green vest and was holding a rifle.
Shoppers and employees ran screaming through the mall and barricaded themselves in dressing rooms after hearing gunfire.
A woman who answered the phone at an Old Navy store said earlier that 20 to 30 customers were huddled with employees in a back storeroom.
"All we know was people were running and screaming down the hallway by Von Maur saying there was a shooting, and then they locked us down," said the woman, who said her name was Heidi.
A Westroads kiosk worker, who identified herself as Kathy, told KETV-TV that she heard three "pops." She said a Bath and Body Works manager approached her and told her to get out of the mall hallway, as there was a shooting, and the assailant had not been located.
Police were allowing some people to leave the mall, but no one was permitted to enter. Around 2:30 p.m., dozens of shoppers and employees left the mall with hands above their heads.
Grenade found last week
WOWT-TV reported that authorities removed what officials described as a live grenade from the mall’s parking lot Friday night. The circumstances of the case are under investigation. There was no indication that incident was related to Wednesday's shootings.
The shooting apparently happened as President Bush was leaving Omaha, where he attended a fundraiser for Republican Senate candidate Mike Johanns.
The sprawling, three-level mall has more than 135 stores and restaurants, according to the Web site for General Growth Properties, the manager of the mall. It gets 14.5 million visitors every year, according to the Web site.
