Neighbor opens fire, shooting seven people including three children; suspect found dead

CRETE, NE - Authorities reported that on Friday, June 28th, seven people were injured during a violent shooting incident in a neighborhood located in Crete, Nebraska. 

According to ABC News, out of those injured were four children between the ages of three and 10. The suspect, since identified as 74-year-old Billy Booth, was found dead inside of his house with what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Nebraska State Police (NSP) Patrol Captain Sean Caradori said that the incident began around 4:30 p.m. on a residential property on Crestline Drive.

During a news conference, Caradori said in a statement, "It appears that all the victims of the shooting will survive." A day after the incident, during another press conference, Colonel John A. Bolduc of NSP said that "multiple rounds were fired" by Booth from inside his house. As of this writing, the exact number of shots fired is not known.

Bolduc said that investigators do not believe any verbal contact occurred between Booth and any of the victims in the moments leading up to the violent shooting. However, Booth and the victims do have history together, including with their families. 

Nebraska Crete Police Chief Gary Young said that there was a report back in May in which the victims claimed that Booth had flipped them off, told them to go back to where they came from, and to speak English. When questioned if investigators think the shooting was racially motivated, Young said, "There could be, we don't know. Certainly the context of 'go home' and 'speak English' lends itself to that."

All the victims were transported to the Crete Area Medical Center. Some were later transferred to other medical centers for further care. Bolduc said, "All of the injuries are consistent with shotgun blast injuries," adding that "most of the victims were outside of the home at the time of the shooting, but at least one was inside the home when they were struck."

All of the victims are expected to survive, but according to Bolduc, some of them will have a very long road to recovery. A friend of one of the victims said that the shooter allegedly previously made incendiary remarks before he "shot the house up." He said that Booth shot his friend as well as his friend's mom. 

Bolduc said that officers heard "one single gunshot" in a home across the street from where the victims were found. Officers later discovered Booth with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers uncovered two firearms in the house. However, only one shotgun is believed to have been used during the shooting. 

Bolduc said, "All gunfire had come from a single residence at 1810 Parkland Street." That was the location of Booth's house and where he was found dead. As of this writing, investigators do not believe there are any additional suspects involved. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities search for a motive.

Caradori confirmed that no law enforcement officials fired their weapons once on scene. He added, "I want all of Crete to know that this situation has bene resolved and there's no threat to the public."