He was also diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and unspecified mood disorder later on and this long history of mental disorders resulted in his rejection of his application to enlist in the Army in the summer of 2007. "Within seconds, they were shot right behind me.". Jones was the first one on the third floor of Van Maur, and said he could only hear Christmas music when he arrived on scene.
He had two magazines with 30 rounds each, the chief said, that had the capacity to fire multiple rounds in a short period of time.. "They said not to look, but you couldn't help looking, " Vickroy said.
Thousands of people left their mark at a memorial area set up outside Von Maur in the days after the shooting. He, along with his wife, Kathy McDonald, was getting Christmas gifts packed at the Von Maur department store when the shooting happened. for nearly 10 John McDonald, 47, of Omaha. Maggie Webb, 24, who was recently transferred to the Von Maur store in Omaha from Chicago,was the youngest victim of the shooting. Molly Rodriguez, Robert Hawkins' mother, in 2008. share. Profiles of 8 who died in Omaha mall massacre Lets just begin then. She was a very warm individual.. from a Chicago A memorial note to the victims of the shooting. Mom of mall shooter says she's responsible
There are moments of sadness, there are moments of tears, there are moments of chills, said Wilson. This undated photo provided by his family shows Gary Scharf, who was killed Wednesday Dec. 5, 2007 when Robert A Hawkins opened fire at the Von Maur department store in Omaha, Neb. 133. r/masskillers. Jorgensen, an outgoing personality and a longtime employee who
There were other random shootings on the third floor, with the shooter eventually making his way to the third-floor customer service department and a gift-wrapping area behind it. Chilling surveillance images released today show a shaggy-haired, bespectacled Robert Hawkins taking aim at holiday shoppers, and his hand-scrawled suicide note offers compassion for his friends and only contempt for his victims. Desaparecidos - "Von Maur Massacre" (Full Album Stream) I just want to take a few pieces of (expletive) with me. The 19-year-old gunman left the note at the suburban house where he lived Wednesday before going to Omahas Westroads Mall with an AK-47 and opening fire on the midday holiday shopping crowd, fatally shooting eight people at the Von Maur store before turning the gun on himself. a middle-of-the-road was popular with co-workers and customers alike, her Meanwhile, some customers and employees used cell phones to call their families and the authorities. We could hear the shots coming closer. Contributing reporting were Ardy Friedberg from Omaha, Monica Davey from Chicago, Chris Burbach and Cate Doty from Omaha, Catrin Einhorn from Chicago, and John Holusha from New York. If you are interested to know about the victims of Robert as well as how he took his life, weve your back. They last saw each other Sunday, at a childs birthday party at the Omaha zoo. For the last year, Mr. Hawkins had been living with Debora Maruca-Kovac, whose son was a friend of his. He said he had. Eight persons and Hawkins died in the attack. They told him, Robbie, it's not that bad. Ive been through tragedy before, his mother said. Soon after Hawkins dropped out, the judge ordered him to get his GED and work 20 hours a week. (Associated Press) John McDonald, 65, of Council . Outside the house in Bellevue where Mr. Hawkins had lived, Ms. Maruca-Kovac, whose family had taken him in, said Mr. Hawkins had called her less than an hour before the shooting, she recounted. What led to this tragedy is extremely horrible and a sad existence for Robert Hawkins. writing stories and poems and was a devoted son, his 91-year-old department at Von Maur, where she had worked The citation is the same, however. Maruca's son Will went looking for Hawkins. Prior to the shooting, Hawkins had a long history of violent behavior starting at just 4 years old. CCTV image of Robert Hawkins stepping out of Von Maur's 3rd floor After the call, they checked his bedroom and found his note, which said things like, "I'm a piece of shit, but I'm going to be famous now.". In July 2005, Hawkins mother, Maribel Rodriguez, sought visits with her son. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/06/us/06cnd-shoot.html. Maruca said she had no idea why Hawkins picked Von Maur. She didn't think much of it -- it looked too old to work. The girl, a neighbor, shrugged off the threat because Hawkins was known for "shooting his mouth off.". This image taken from a surveillance camera and released by the Omaha Police Department on Friday shows Robert Hawkins aiming an AK-47 assault rifle in the Von Maur store in the Westroads Mall. Maruca-Kovac told the Omaha World-Herald that Hawkins showed her a rifle on Tuesday, but that she thought it was too old to work.
OMAHA, NEB. Hawkins then killed himself against the service area desk by shooting himself from under his chin, dying almost instantly. Searching for Clues to a Young Killer's Motivation A large crowd huddles together outside the south entrance to Von Maur for a ceremony marking the one-year anniversary of the shooting. The black-clad Hawkins started shooting at shoppers and store workers, shot after shot after awful shot. After the first drug charge, Judge O'Neal ordered Hawkins to abstain from alcohol and drugs and to complete chemical dependency and mental health treatment through a day treatment program at Cooper Village. Dave Heineman and Jim von Maur of the department store chain.
I cant believe that eight years have passed, said Wilson. Dianne Trent, a store employee, spent warm evenings tending to the flowers on her porch, drinking tea and chatting with her neighbor, Errol Schlenker. The entrance that Hawkins used was the south entrance, and went to the 3rd floor where most of his victims were. Raised in a small Nebraska town, Gary Scharf graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The first 911 call came at 1:42 p.m. from a Von Maur employee, shots audible in the background. [2]. Video of the department stores south entrance shows Hawkins entering the festooned store and immediately walking to the elevator to his right. A very incredibly sweet person, Schlenker said. This undated photo provided by his family shows Gary Scharf, who was killed Wednesday Dec. 5, 2007 when Robert A Hawkins opened fire at the Von Maur department store in Omaha, Neb. Westroads Mall Massacre at Von Maur Store Kills 8 (I go McDonald, 65, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, died during the Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2007, mall shooting before emergency crews arrived, his son-in-law Joe Shehan told the Omaha World-Herald. Jaeger said she and her son were in the Von Maur restroom when the shooting occurred. A look at the eight victims who died in Wednesdays shooting at the Westroads Mall in Omaha, Neb. An Act for permitting Affirmation to be made instead of an Oath in certain Cases.
People huddled today outside an Omaha shopping mall after a man with a rifle opened fire inside. Images from the day of the shooting, memorials, the store's reopening and more. (Associated Press) 2007 Von Maur Shooting by Robert HawkinsIf you have any suggestions on any crimes, infamous events or infamous people, send me a message on facebook or instagram @infamous crime locations. Officers painstakingly worked through the store, finally making their way back to customer service. was new to the Omaha Von Maur store. It had two ammo clips holding 30 rounds each. Shot in the chest, Flynn was taken to Creighton University Medical Center, where attempts to resuscitate her failed. It was tragic enough to see the carnage, but to see how their lives were cut short for no reason was very difficult.. The rifle, with a large ammunition clip, was near his body. Hawkins was a foster child through Sarpy County Juvenile Court for about four years. The night before the shooting, Hawkins and her sons showed Maruca an AK-47-style rifle. Kiley Cruse/Omaha World-Herald, via Associated Press. last Images, suicide note released in mall massacre, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Air quality ozone alert issued for Front Range until Sunday afternoon, Flights delayed at Denver International Airport after severe weather warning, Eastbound I-70 closed through Glenwood Canyon, Cherry Creek State Park swimming area reopens, Two places to see incredible wildflower blooms in Colorado this weekend, Colorado Republicans call for special session to address court's ruling that murder suspects can't be held without bail, Denver weather: Severe storm to include golf-ball-sized hail, damaging wind and tornadoes, Suburban residents battle noise, lead pollution from busy metro Denver airports, In honor of "The Bear" season 2, here are 6 Italian beef spots in Denver that will have you saying, "Yes, Chef! Maruca, not knowing what else to do, went to work. Schuster had planned to teach elementary school after graduating. The violent crime rate here jumped 7.6 percent last year over 2005, The Omaha World-Herald reported this fall. He was born into a military family and his violent behavior was attributed to ADHD and a chaotic home life. She transferred there from a Chicago location earlier this year, according to her alma mater, Illinois State University. Lets just begin then. That was her way to put her style on the whole transaction, Young said.
It remains the deadliest mass murder in Nebraska. Then began the long wait, Ms. Kleine said, 30 minutes, staring at that door. However, despite getting treatment worth more than $265,000 in various state facilities, Roberts mental health did not improve much. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. It'll be OK, Maruca said.
He walked into Von Maur's south entrance without a gun, perhaps casing things out. save. 2.2K Share 47K views 2 years ago #infamouscrimelocations #omahanebraska 19 yr Robert Hawkins went inside the Von Maur store at the Westroads Mall in Omaha killing 8 people inside before.