A knife-wielding woman was fatally shot by police outside a Walmart in Nebraska after she allegedly kidnapped a three-year-old boy from the supermarket, authorities said.
Noemi Guzman, 31, abducted the child at knifepoint in what police described as an apparently random attack at the Omaha store on Tuesday. Footage from officers' body-worn cameras showed her wielding the weapon at the child.
Police said Guzman refused to drop the blade, and that she cut the boy's cheek before two officers fired at her. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The boy was treated for non-life threatening injuries at hospital.
Investigators said store surveillance video showed Guzman shoplifting the knife. She then approached the child and his babysitter, brandished the weapon and forced the adult to walk ahead while the child stayed seated in the shopping trolley. The suspect directed them through the store and into the car park before officers arrived, police said.
The boy's mother, Sara Hillman, told CBS News she has been asking herself: "What if it could have gone a different way?"
The boy's father, Casey Hillman, urged parents to hold their children tight "because you never know how it can turn out." Their son, who normally loves being outdoors, was scared to go outside the next day, they said.
What the Right Is Saying
Law enforcement officials and supporters have defended the officers' actions as necessary to protect a young child from an armed attacker. They note that Guzman was wielding a knife at a three-year-old and had already cut the child's cheek before police arrived.
Police officials emphasized that officers gave Guzman multiple commands to drop the weapon and that she refused. The Nebraska chapter of a law enforcement advocacy group praised the officers for acting quickly to protect a child in what they called an "extremely dangerous situation."
What the Left Is Saying
Mental health advocates and some progressive criminal justice reform groups have raised concerns about police responses to individuals in mental health crises. They note that Guzman had a documented history of schizophrenia and had previously been found not criminally responsible by reason of insanity in a 2024 case.
These advocates argue that individuals with severe mental illness often lack access to adequate treatment and support services, which can lead to dangerous situations. Some have questioned whether de-escalation techniques or mental health professionals could have been deployed in such cases, though they acknowledge the immediate danger to the child.
What the Numbers Show
Guzman, 31, had a prior criminal record including a 2024 arrest for allegedly attempting to light a fire inside a home and injuring her father with a knife. She was also accused of breaking into a Catholic church while armed with a knife and destroying property while a priest barricaded himself in a room.
A judge ruled she was suffering from schizophrenia and should remain under the court's supervision, according to local media reports. She was found not responsible by reason of insanity in that case.
The three-year-old boy was treated for non-life threatening injuries at hospital, including a cut to his cheek.
The Bottom Line
The fatal police shooting raises questions about law enforcement responses to individuals in mental health crises, even as authorities maintain the shooting was justified to protect a child. Investigators are reviewing body-worn camera footage and store surveillance video as part of their ongoing investigation. The case highlights the intersection of mental health policy, police use of force, and child safety.