The 74-year-old suspect, Billy Booth, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a home across the street. Authorities are investigating a potential racial motive.
Seven people, including four children, were injured in a shooting at a Nebraska home on Friday evening. The shooting, which occurred in Crete, a small town in southeastern Nebraska, is being investigated as potentially racially motivated, following reports that the victims had previously complained about the suspect’s behavior.
At approximately 4:33 p.m. local time, multiple 911 calls reported an active shooter at a residence on the 1200 block of Crestline Drive. Nebraska State Patrol Col. John Bolduc confirmed that when officers arrived, they could still hear gunshots coming from a house across the street. A SWAT team was deployed to the residence, where they found 74-year-old Billy Booth dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A shotgun was located near Booth’s body.
The victims, believed to be Hispanic, were gathered at the home at the time of the shooting. Among the injured were three adults aged 22 to 43, and four children between the ages of 3 and 10. While six of the victims were immediately taken to the hospital, one additional individual later realized they had been injured. Fortunately, all the victims are expected to survive, though three remain hospitalized, with two children receiving care in a pediatric hospital.
Authorities revealed that Booth had a history of complaints against the victims’ family, including previous calls to the police about neighborhood issues such as speeding vehicles and improper parking. There was a reported incident in which Booth allegedly told the victims to “go home,” “speak English,” and “back to where they came from.” This has led investigators to consider the possibility that the shooting was racially motivated.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to piece together the full sequence of events. As of now, it appears that there was no direct confrontation between Booth and the victims immediately before the shooting. However, the tragic event has shaken the community, and the authorities continue to pursue all leads to determine the full scope of the circumstances surrounding this incident.
