Omaha Police fatally shoot woman who slashed a 3-year-old boy with a knife at Walmart

In a shocking incident. Omaha Police Department fatally shot a woman after she allegedly attacked a 3-year-old boy with a knife at a Walmart store on Tuesday. Authorities said the suspect grabbed the child and slashed him, triggering a swift police response. Officers confronted the woman and opened fire, stopping the attack. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital with injuries, though his condition is considered to be non-life threatening. The incident caused panic among shoppers and staff, as investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the shocking act of violence.

"The suspect approached a female shopper and a 3-year-old boy, then displayed a large knife she had shoplifted from the store and took possession of the child, essentially kidnapping the child,” Deputy Chief Scott Gray said as quoted by The Washington Post.

The suspect ordered the woman to walk ahead of a shopping cart, forcing her to comply while holding the child at knifepoint, Gray said. They then exited the store and moved along a driveway, where the two women exchanged words for several minutes before officers arrived.


According to the Omaha Police Department statement, after a 911 call, officers responded to the Walmart at 1606 S. 72nd St. and issued commands to the woman. At that point, she allegedly began slashing at the child, cutting his face.

Police said two officers then opened fire, and the suspect, who was later identified as Noemi Guzman, was pronounced dead at the scene. Body camera footage later released shows the woman lifting a knife over the young boy in a shopping cart as an officer points a gun at her.


According to police, the boy was transported by Omaha Fire Department medics to Children’s Hospital for treatment, where his injuries were deemed non-life-threatening. Investigators later said surveillance footage showed that Ms. Guzman had taken the knife from inside the store before the incident.

Omaha Mayor John W. Ewing Jr. praised officers for their swift response, saying their actions helped prevent a far more serious tragedy.

“I am grateful for the department’s professionalism and transparency,” he was quoted as saying in a police statement.

According to police, the incident appears to be isolated, as the two women had no prior connection.