The Nebraska State Patrol held a press conference on Saturday, June 29 at their Lincoln headquarters regarding the shooting that injured what is now seven individuals on Friday, June 28 in Crete. An active investigation is still underway, though new information has come to light including the name of the sole suspect.
At approximately 4:33 p.m. on June 28 Saline County 911 received multiple reports of an active shooter incident in Crete. Crete Police Department and the Saline County Sheriff’s office responded and arrived within a few minutes. As they approached the scene, officers could hear gunfire still occurring. They located several victims inside a home on Crestline Drive and identified that the gunfire was coming from a house across the street.
Officers and the first EMTs on scene evacuated the victims to safety so they could be transported for treatment to Crete Area Medical Center. The seventh victim realized hours later that he had been struck and was transported to the hospital.
At approximately 6:40 p.m., the SWAT Team made entry into the home where the gunfire had originated, 1810 Parkland Street, and located the occupant deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The SWAT team located a shotgun near the suspect. The suspect has been identified as Billy Booth, 74, of Crete.
Booth acted alone and was legally able to own firearms and two were found inside his residence. All the shots he fired from inside his home, using a singular shotgun, across the street to the victims in the vicinity of 1225 Crestline Drive.
“Out of respect for the family's request for privacy, we will not be identifying the victims,” Colonel John A. Bolduc of the NSP said.
Of the seven, four are children ranging in age from 3 to 10 and three are adults ranging in age from 22 to 43. Not all victims were residents of the house. There were approximately 15 people at the victims’ residence at the time of the shooting. Most of the victims were in the yard, but at least one victim was struck while inside the house on Crestline Drive.
As of early Saturday afternoon, four patients have been treated and released from area hospitals. Three victims remain at a hospital receiving care. Two of the victims are at Children’s Hospital in Omaha and one remains at Bryan Health West Campus in Lincoln. All injuries at this point are believed to be non-life-threatening.
While a motive has not been confirmed, all seven victims appear to be hispanic and Booth had a history of aggression towards the family.
A previous police report from the victims and the family had stated that Booth had “flipped them off, told them to go home or back to where they came from and to speak English,” Crete Chief police officer Gary Young said.
There appeared to be no verbal altercation between Booth and the victims in the time leading up to the shooting.
The injuries are all consistent with shotgun injuries and all victims are either being treated for non-life threatening injuries or have already been released.
The investigation remains ongoing. If you have any information regarding this incident please contact Crete Police Department non-emergency number at (402) 826-4311.
