Omaha police fatally shoot Noemi Guzman after she kidnaps and slashes 3-year-old boy at knifepoint inside Nebraska Walmart

Omaha Police Department officers shot and killed a 31-year-old woman on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, after she kidnapped a 3-year-old boy at knifepoint inside a Walmart store in central Omaha, Nebraska, and slashed the child across the face when officers arrived and issued commands. The woman, identified by the Omaha Police Department as Noemi Guzman, was pronounced dead at the scene. The child was transported to Children’s Nebraska hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was expected to survive.

The Omaha Police Department received a 911 call at approximately 9:13 a.m. Central Daylight Time. Dispatch recordings captured a woman placing the call, with a second voice audible in the background stating, “Stop. Keep walking.” Two patrol officers arrived at the Walmart located near South 72nd and Pine Streets at approximately 9:20 a.m. and encountered Guzman outside the store, near the southern parking lot entrance, holding a large kitchen knife over a 3-year-old boy seated in a shopping cart.

How did the Omaha Walmart kidnapping and knife attack on a 3-year-old begin inside the store on April 14, 2026

Surveillance video from inside the store reviewed by investigators showed that Guzman had shoplifted the large kitchen knife after entering the Walmart, then approached a woman and the child in a shopping aisle and brandished the weapon. Guzman then took possession of the child, directed the child’s guardian to walk in front of the shopping cart, and followed behind at knifepoint as they made their way out of the store. Omaha Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Gray, who briefed media at the scene, said the pair moved through the store in a deliberate but outwardly unremarkable manner. Gray said their behaviour did not attract attention from other shoppers, noting that they appeared to walk out casually enough that no one watching would have identified either as being involved in a threatening situation.

Once outside, the two women had a verbal exchange for several minutes before officers arrived. Omaha Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Gray confirmed that Guzman and the child’s guardian did not know each other prior to the incident, and that the precise relationship between the boy and his guardian had not been confirmed. The Omaha Police Department described the attack as a random incident involving no prior connection between Guzman and the child or the guardian.

What happened when Omaha Police Department officers confronted Noemi Guzman outside the Walmart near South 72nd and Pine Streets

Officers immediately began to approach Guzman, who had the 3-year-old boy in the seat of the shopping cart. After multiple commands to drop the knife, Guzman began to cut the boy. Both patrol officers then fired their service weapons, striking Guzman. Immediately after the shooting, the boy’s guardian and a bystander removed the child from the cart and rendered aid. Officers subsequently attempted life-saving measures on Guzman, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Body-worn camera footage released by the Omaha Police Department showed Guzman raising the knife over the boy as an officer had a firearm aimed at her. The footage was released to the public on the afternoon of April 14, 2026, as part of the Omaha Police Department’s public communications on the incident.

What injuries did the 3-year-old boy sustain in the Omaha Walmart knife attack and what is his current condition

The child was being treated at Children’s Nebraska hospital for a large laceration across the left side of his face and an injury to one hand. The 3-year-old was taken into surgery, with the child’s caregiver present at the hospital. The Omaha Police Department described the child’s injuries as non-life-threatening, and Omaha Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Gray confirmed the child was expected to survive.

Which law enforcement agencies are investigating the Omaha Police Department officer-involved shooting at the Walmart on South 72nd Street

Investigators from the Nebraska State Patrol and the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office were reviewing security footage and body-worn camera recordings alongside the Omaha Police Department. The Omaha Police Department confirmed that neither of the two officers involved in the shooting sustained injuries. As of the afternoon briefing on April 14, 2026, investigators had not confirmed the total number of shots fired, though subsequent reporting from the Omaha Police Department confirmed that both officers discharged their service weapons.

How did Omaha city officials and Walmart respond to the fatal police shooting at the South 72nd Street store

Omaha Mayor John Ewing issued a public statement following the Omaha Police Department’s release of information about the incident. Walmart stated that violence of the nature seen at the Omaha store was unacceptable and that the company was working with police and supporting the investigation. The Walmart store on South 72nd and Pine Streets partially reopened in the afternoon as the police investigation continued at the site.

The Omaha Police Department designated the incident as an isolated event, stating there was no ongoing threat to the public. Traffic restrictions were imposed on South 72nd Street between Pacific Street and Mercy Road during the initial response period, with drivers advised to use alternative routes.

Why the Omaha Walmart kidnapping and fatal police shooting raises questions about random public violence and retail security in Nebraska

The events of April 14, 2026, at the Omaha Walmart represent an incident in which a weapon was obtained from within the retail environment itself and used in a kidnapping and assault on a minor within the same location. Omaha Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Gray acknowledged that the sequence of events inside the store, from the theft of the knife to the taking of the child, unfolded in a manner that did not generate visible alarm among other shoppers or store staff at the time.

The Walmart store on South 72nd and Pine Streets serves a densely populated residential and commercial area of central Omaha, Nebraska. Walmart, as one of the largest retail employers and store operators in the United States, has faced periodic scrutiny over in-store security protocols, particularly regarding the accessibility of knives and other hardware items to members of the public. The company did not address questions about store security protocols specifically in its public statement on April 14, 2026.

The involvement of the Nebraska State Patrol and the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office alongside the Omaha Police Department in the post-incident investigation reflects standard Nebraska protocol for officer-involved shootings, under which multiple agencies participate in evidentiary review to ensure independent oversight. Body-worn camera footage from the officers on scene was released publicly within hours of the incident, consistent with Omaha Police Department transparency practices for officer-involved shooting events.

The motive for Guzman’s actions remained unclear as of the afternoon of April 14, 2026. The Omaha Police Department stated that investigators were working to establish the circumstances that led up to the incident, and no additional information about Guzman’s background or history had been publicly released.

Key takeaways on what the Omaha Walmart kidnapping and fatal police shooting means for public safety, law enforcement accountability, and retail security in Nebraska

• Noemi Guzman, 31, was fatally shot by two Omaha Police Department patrol officers on April 14, 2026, after she kidnapped a 3-year-old boy at knifepoint inside a Walmart in Omaha, Nebraska, and slashed the child across the face and hand when officers issued commands to drop the weapon.
• The child, approximately 3 years old, was transported to Children’s Nebraska hospital with a large laceration to the left side of his face and is expected to survive; the Omaha Police Department described his injuries as non-life-threatening.
• Omaha Police Department surveillance footage showed Guzman had shoplifted the large kitchen knife from within the Walmart store before using it to take the child from an unrelated guardian; both Guzman and the guardian were unknown to each other.
• The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Omaha Police Department, the Nebraska State Patrol, and the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, with body-worn camera footage released publicly on the afternoon of April 14, 2026.
• Walmart confirmed it was cooperating with the police investigation; Omaha Mayor John Ewing issued a public statement; the Omaha Police Department designated the incident as isolated with no ongoing threat to the public.