Police in Nebraska fatally shot a woman after she held a 3-year-old boy hostage and injured him in a Walmart parking lot.
According to the Omaha Police Department, authorities received reports of a woman brandishing a "large kitchen knife" and holding a young child inside the Walmart store.
Surveillance footage shows the woman, identified as 31-year-old Noemi Guzman, grabbing a knife from within the store and approaching a woman and a 3-year-old boy in an aisle. She then used the knife to hold them hostage, forcing the guardian to walk ahead while pushing a shopping cart with the child inside out of the store.
In the parking lot, police found Guzman standing by the cart with the child. Body camera footage shows her holding the knife to the child's face.
Police repeatedly ordered her to drop the weapon, but she did not comply. Subsequently, Guzman injured the child. Two officers immediately opened fire to neutralize the threat.
The child was rushed to the hospital with facial and hand injuries; his condition is stable, and he is expected to recover.
Police performed first aid on the suspect, but she died at the scene.
Police Chief Todd Schmaderer stated that the officers acted quickly and decisively to protect the child's life.
The incident is being investigated by a specialized unit, in coordination with the Nebraska State Patrol and local agencies.
