NEBRASKA SHOOTING: 7 INJURED IN RACIAL DISPUTE AT HOME, GUNMAN KILLS SELF

A man from Nebraska is reported to have shot seven of his neighbours, including children, in what is suspected to be an act of racial prejudice, before turning the weapon on himself.

The alleged gunman, Billy Booth, 74, purportedly told his victims - all believed to be of Hispanic origin - to "go back to where they came from" and to "speak English," according to local law enforcement officers. The incident transpired early Friday evening inside Booth's home in Crete, injuring four children, aged three to 10, and three adults aged between 22 and 43.

Thankfully, none sustained life-threatening wounds. However, Booth was discovered deceased at the crime scene, from a self-inflicted gunshot impact.

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An estimated 15 individuals were present at Booth's residence on Crestline Drive when the horrifying attack took place. Many of them were outdoors, yet at least one individual was struck whilst within the premises.

Among the victims was Alberto Bautista who, along with his wife and their grandchild, were injured whilst the minors were engaged in exterior play, reveals the Lexington Clipper-Herald. Six wounded people were rushed to hospital, with a seventh noticing his injuries later that evening.

Of these, four have since been discharged, leaving three still under medical supervision, including two minors being attended to at a children's hospital in Omaha.

Reacting to reports of the incident, a SWAT team swiftly arrived at the property, anticipating "a barricaded subject."

Nonetheless, Nebraska State Patrol Colonel John Bolduc clarified: "It was quickly determined that all gunfire had come from a single residence at 1810 Parkland Street."

Police stormed into the property at about 6.40pm, finding Booth lifeless with a shotgun nearby, as per NBC News. "Preliminary investigation shows that all rounds fired by Booth came from inside of his house," Bolduc stated, before noting that "investigators are still actively working this investigation to understand everything that occurred, but at this point, we don't believe there was any verbal contact between the suspect and any of the victims in the moments that led up to the shooting."

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It has emerged that Booth had a history of altercations with the families of the victims, with numerous complaints dating back to 2021, most originating from Booth himself. Crete Police Chief Gary Young Jr remarked: "Not necessarily associated with the victims' house, but cars driving too fast in the neighborhood, improper parking, nuisance properties, quality-of-life type issues."

"There was a single report from the victims that the suspect had flipped them off, told them to 'Go home' or 'back to where they came from,' to 'Speak English.'" At that time, the family decided not to take the issues further, police records show.

Joshua Morales, a friend of one of the victims, spoke to KETV about previous altercations with Booth, suggesting a racial motive behind the attack. He recounted: "[Booth] was supposedly telling [the friend's] parents to go back to their country, and they got into problems. And I guess until now the dude just shot the house up. I guess it was just a racist thing that happened. So, I guess the dude that shot them was just racist 'cause he shot a Hispanic family and he told a Hispanic family to go back to their country."

Addressing whether race was a factor, Young admitted the possibility, stating: "There could be, we don't know. Certainly the context of 'Go home' and 'Speak English' lends itself to that," he said. Police continue to delve into Booth's motives and urge the public to come forward with any relevant information.

2024-07-01T23:37:31Z dg43tfdfdgfd