County Sheriff Calls for Political Action Following Viral Walmart Stabbing
by John Gage
(Picture credit Matt Johnson)
OMAHA — Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson said Nebraska must take the state’s “mental health crisis” more seriously following the stabbing of a young child at a Walmart in Omaha.
“I have consistently warned about the risk of repeat offenders and our revolving door mental health crisis which is a direct result of a lack of acute secure behavioral health infrastructure,” Hanson said Wednesday in a post on social media. “This terrifying image is a tragic illustration of this dangerous reality. Innocent victims constantly pay for the inaction of politicians.”
Hanson went on to urge lawmakers to “identify solutions” that would “keep the dangerously mentally ill away from innocent people.”
“Douglas County government is currently sitting on an empty, secure, brand new 64 bed ‘juvenile facility’ at a cost of $20,000+ a month simply to maintain the vacant space,” he added. “With appropriate steps, this valuable facility could be repurposed into a secure mental health facility, among many other possibilities, to keep people safe.”
“It’s time for Federal, State and local leaders to work together to find real solutions,” he added.
Omaha Walmart Stabbing Goes Viral
Hanson’s comments come a day after a woman attempted to kidnap a 3-year-old boy at a Walmart in Omaha on Tuesday morning. The woman was shot by police after she stabbed the boy in the side of the face with a “large kitchen knife.”
Omaha police said they did not immediately know the motivation behind the suspect for the kidnapping.
Following the release of photos from the attack, the story went viral nationally on social media with critics pointing out that the attacker, Noemi Guzman, had a history of violent attacks.
In 2024, Guzman was accused of stabbing her father, dousing him in a flammable liquid, attempting to start a fire, and breaking into a church.
Governor Jim Pillen responded to the stabbing Tuesday, saying the fact that Guzman was free on the streets ahead of the stabbing “raise grave questions.” He added that the Legislature needed to look into potential solutions as well.
“If the Legislature’s decades of shrinking our regional center infrastructure and failing to strengthen our civil commitment laws made this attack possible, then we need to fix it. Now.”
John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.
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