OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Omaha averaged 7.6 non-fatal shootings each month between January 2016 and April this year, according to Omaha Police Department data.
But in the last week (since Tuesday), Omaha saw seven non-fatal shootings and a homicide, according to 3 News Now and OPD counts. All of those occurred on and between Tuesday and Friday
An average month in the same span has seen 2.3 homicide victims. Omaha has seen two so far this month, after not seeing a single homicide in 2023 until April.
"This was a spike in violence spike that we really haven't seen so far this year," said Omaha Police Lt. Neal Bonacci, a public information officer. "Even with the spike in violence this last week, we're still sitting really, really well compared to other major cities."
Not including the homicide, many of the shootings were gang-related, he said.
"Oftentimes these things kind of kick-off and they can happen in spurts, which they did this last week," Bonacci said.
There is a seasonal nature to shootings, he said. In the last five Junes, Omaha had four homicides, and nearly 13 non-fatal shootings, on average.
He said OPD has had success investigating the cases, including six arrests related to the shooting near 18th and Spencer Streets, and collecting a "promising" Crime Stoppers tip on theKeystone Trail shooting.
A Friday evening shootingincluded arrests of 13-, 16-, 17- and 18-year-old suspects, highlighting a trend of more minor suspects that Bonacci says is "newer" as of the last few years.
"It's concerning as a community," he said. "That's why we need to work with community partners and make sure that we're working together, getting in front of this violence, getting these kids into ... other programs, into sports, what have you, getting the mentors to get them out of this type of lifestyle."
He said Omaha Police is working on community policing, including being awarded a federal grant that will pay for the overtime of officers that engage with the community at events.
State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha said he wasn't surprised by a recent wave of shootings.
"The city really doesn't invest in things that prevents kids from going into the streets," he said. "We have massive failures in our education system that lead to it as well."
He said that this legislative session, the Unicameral took some action to make progress, but a solution will need more work.
"The next step is just to keep working and keep doing the work and keep trying to make sure that whatever resources that are out there get to get in the right hands," McKinney said.
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