- The Omaha Police Officers Association publicly accused State Senator Terrell McKinney of obstructing officers and inciting disobedience during a shooting response at 24th and Patrick.
- Two of the seven people injured in the Friday night shooting at Kelley’s parking lot say they were caught off guard while simply waiting for food.
- In response to the back-to-back shootings during Native Omaha Days, community leaders and residents gathered to propose solutions.
- Ideas discussed included stricter curfews, more late-night programming for young adults, increased parental oversight, and even banning masks in public to improve safety and accountability.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Omaha Police Officers Association (OPOA) is drawing attention on social media—accusing State Senator Terrell McKinney of flipping off officers and encouraging others to disobey police orders while they rendered aid at the scene of a fatal shooting over the weekend.
The Facebook post from OPOA claims McKinney used profanity and made obscene gestures at officers as they attempted CPR on a gunshot victim near 24th and Patrick.
But McKinney says that’s simply not true—and he wasn’t even at the scene.
In a post of his own, the senator said he spoke to police earlier that same night about what he described as officers violating the rights of people on 24th Street. According to McKinney, officers were ordering people to leave the area around 2 a.m., raising concerns for how law enforcement interacted with community members.
Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer addressed the issue publicly, confirming that McKinney was not present at the 24th and Patrick shooting.
The social media exchange comes in the wake of a violent weekend that left one person dead and ten others injured in separate shootings tied to the final days of Native Omaha Days.
Among the survivors—21-year-old Cameron Jones and 22-year-old Javier White—who were shot while waiting for food in Kelley’s parking lot.
“I've never been shot before… it was just a crazy situation. Seven people—no one died, just kinda like God talking,” said White.
“The parking lot was too small, too many people trying to run at once,” added Jones. “We didn’t know who was hit and who wasn’t.”
White says the experience has changed how he sees community events. “I said, I'm done going out, they can have Omaha Days, they can have Kelley's."
In the separate incident near 24th and Patrick, three people were shot. A 22-year-old later died from his injuries.
Now, community leaders and residents are pushing for change—discussing solutions like curfews, late-night programs, parental accountability, and even banning face masks to prevent future violence.
