Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

October 10, 2008 7:38:12 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

Omaha Mall Shooting track this thread

Started by K Schwartz; Last updated Feb 1, 08 11:46 AM CST by D Lim | View history

Rate it:
Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon | Edit thread | Notify editors | + Start a new thread
Omaha Mall Shooting

A gunman at an Omaha mall killed eight people, wounded five others, then killed himself

Robert Hawkins had been treated for depression and had prior arrests for drug possession and disorderly conduct. But the woman who took him in, after he had a falling out with his family, thought he was getting better, and considered him benign...even though he showed her an SKS semiautomatic rifle the night before his attack.

Stories

10 Stories

  • December 2007

    • Mall Shooter Took Gun While Briefly Alone

      Omaha World-Herald  |  Dec 13, 07 12:30 PM CST

      Mall Shooter Took Gun While Briefly Alone

      (Newser) - The night before the Omaha mall shootings, Robert Hawkins' mother went Christmas shopping for an hour. In that hour alone in his ex-stepfather's house, reports the Omaha World-Herald, the 19-year-old stole the assault rifle he used to randomly kill eight people the next day. At dinner, Hawkins told his mother that he'd lost his job, but seemed "neutral." More »

    • Mall Shooter Spent 2 Years in Treatment

      New York Times  |  Dec 9, 07 5:32 AM CST

      Mall Shooter Spent 2 Years in Treatment

      (Newser) - Mall shooter Robert Hawkins spent two years in extensive care at a Nebraska home for troubled teens, where an official said there was "no indication" he would launch one of the deadliest killing rampages in American history, the New York Times reports. He spent a total of five years in juvenile services programs, costing some $265,000. More »

    • Omaha Mall Reopens Under Heavy Security

      Associated Press  |  Dec 8, 07 12:35 PM CST

      Omaha Mall Reopens Under Heavy Security

      (Newser) - The Omaha mall where 19-year-old Robert Hawkins unleashed his killing spree re-opened for business today under tighter security, the AP reports. “I came in here and I was wondering how I would feel about it,” the mayor said, “but I feel fine.” The Von Maur store where Hawkins actually opened fire remains closed indefinitely. More »

    • 'I've Just Snapped,' Writes Mall Shooter

      Associated Press  |  Dec 7, 07 7:02 PM CST

      'I've Just Snapped,' Writes Mall Shooter

      (Newser) - The Omaha mall gunman apologized to family and friends in a suicide note released today and says he "just snapped" before killing eight people and himself in a shopping mall, the AP reports. "I know everyone will remember me as some sort of monster but please understand that I just don't want to be a burden," wrote Robert Hawkins, 19. "I just want to take a few pieces of (expletive) with me." More »

    • Mall Gunman Photos Released

      Associated Press  |  Dec 7, 07 4:39 PM CST

      Mall Gunman Photos Released

      (Newser) - Images from surveillance videos showing Robert Hawkins, the 19-year-old who killed eight people, and then himself, at Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska, Wednesday, were released by the authorities today, the AP reports. Three still images taken by mall security cameras show Hawkins walking into the mall seemingly unarmed, then with a concealed weapon beneath his clothes, and finally firing an AK-47. More »

    • In Wake of Shootings, Malls Rethink Security

      USA Today  |  Dec 7, 07 2:45 PM CST

      In Wake of Shootings, Malls Rethink Security

      (Newser) - This week's shootings at an Omaha mall have revived the debate over security at shopping centers, Their openness and popularity make them dream targets for terrorists and disturbed individuals looking for attention, experts say, and some argue for Israeli-style screening of patrons, with metal detectors and car searches. USA Today looks at the battle to reconcile openness and security. More »

    • Omaha Shooter Cased Store, Smuggled Gun

      CNN  |  Dec 6, 07 3:52 PM CST

      Omaha Shooter Cased Store, Smuggled Gun

      (Newser) - 19-year-old Robert Hawkins briefly looked around the Von Maur department store yesterday before leaving, only to return six minutes later and open fire with a stolen AK-47 in the Omaha rampage that left nine dead. Upon reentry, Hawkins was "concealing something balled up in a hooded sweatshirt," police said. The gun apparently belonged to Hawkins' stepfather, Reuters reports. More »

    • Mall Shooter Was Depressed, Seemed 'Gentle'

      Associated Press  |  Dec 6, 07 11:34 AM CST

      Mall Shooter Was Depressed, Seemed 'Gentle'

      (Newser) - Robert Hawkins—who killed 8 people and himself at an Omaha mall yesterday—had been treated for depression, and had prior arrests for drug possession and disorderly conduct. But the woman who took him in, after he had a falling out with his family, thought he was getting better, and considered him benign. He showed her an SKS semiautomatic rifle the night before his attack, Debora Maruca-Kovac told the Omaha World-Herald , but she thought little of it. More »

    • Gunman at Omaha Mall Upset Over Being Fired

      Omaha World-Herald  |  Dec 5, 07 7:54 PM CST

      Gunman at Omaha Mall Upset Over Being Fired

      (Newser) - The 19-year-old gunman who killed eight people and himself in a busy Omaha shopping mall today had been fired from his job at McDonald's hours earlier after being accused of stealing $17, the Omaha World-Herald reports. Robert A. Hawkins, who opened fire on afternoon shoppers with a rifle, left a suicide saying he would be "going out in style," police told WOWT-TV. More »

    • 9 Dead in Omaha Mall Shooting

      MSNBC  |  Dec 5, 07 4:18 PM CST

      9 Dead in Omaha Mall Shooting

      (Newser) - A gunman at an Omaha mall killed eight people, wounded five others, then killed himself, police said. Witnesses said the man pointed his gun over a third-floor railing about 2 p.m. at the busy mall and opened fire, local station WOWT-TV reports. Police identified the gunman as a 19-year-old from Bellevue, Neb., who left a suicide note saying he was "going out in style," the station reports. More »

10 Stories

Robert A. Hawkins, 19, left a suicide note before his shooting rampage in Omaha.   (WOWT-TV (Omaha))
This undated yearbook photo shows Robert A. Hawkins, identified by police as the man who opened fire with a rifle at a busy Omaha, Neb., department store Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/Yearbook photo...   (Associated Press)
People walk down stairs to evacuate from the Westroads Mall after a gunman opened fire at a Von Maur store in the complex in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. At least one person was wounded and police...   (Associated Press)
Shoppers at the Westroads Mall seek shelter in a metal container after a gunman opened fire at a Von Maur store in the mall, in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. Police locked down the shopping center...   (Associated Press)
Shoppers and employees who were inside the Von Maur store at the Westroads Mall when a gunman opened fire, await news in the frigid weather, in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)   (Associated Press)
Witnesses to the shooting at the Von Maur store in Omaha, Neb., stand outside the mall Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. A man with a rifle opened fire at a busy department store Wednesday, killing eight people...   (Associated Press)
A Douglas County officer guards the parking lot of the Westroads mall following a shooting at the Von Maur store in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. A man with a rifle opened fire at the store, killing...   (Associated Press)
Women evacuated from the Von Maur store after a gunman opened fire at the Westroads mall await news in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. Police locked down in the mall after several people were shot...   (Associated Press)
Women who were evacuated from the Von Maur store when a gunman opened fire at a busy mall, wait for news, in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. A gunman opened fire Wednesday at a busy Omaha shopping...   (Associated Press)
Rescue personnel congregate near the entrance of the Von Maur store in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007 after a man with a rifle opened fire at the store, killing eight people before taking his own...   (Associated Press)
Larissa Starchenko, an employee who was inside the Von Maur store when a gunman opened fire, is comforted by her daughter Yara, back, in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)   (Associated Press)
Television reporters work in front of the Von Maur store, site of Wednesday's deadly shooting, in Omaha, Neb., Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007. Eight people were killed and five wounded before the shooter, Robert...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
police chief talks about the omaha mall shooting   (SistaSouljah917 (YouTube))
Mall Shooting in Omaha, Nebraska   (penneyboy24 (YouTube))

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

Related Threads

Crime  •  Guns in America

More Recommend Reading

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »