Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 6, 2007, Winnipeg, Manitoba top news Winnipeg free press thursday december 6, 2007 a5 eight slain in shopping mall massacre Omaha gunman reportedly wanted to go out in style by Oskar Garcia o Maha neb. ? a Man opened fire with a Rifle on a Busy department store wednes Day killing eight people before taking his own life in an attack that made Holiday shoppers run screaming through a mall and barricade them selves in dressing rooms. Five More people were wounded two critically. The gunman left a suicide note that was found at his Home said a Law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak. To station Kev reported that the note said he wanted to go out in the official identified my Knees the gunman As Robert a. Rocked. I did to Hawkins 19. Know what to witnesses said the gun Man fired Down on shop do so i just rangers from a third floor with everybody Balcony of the von Maur store. One witness told a else to station that he shot up a Teddy Bear As he sprayed ? Kevin Kleine who fire on shoppers. Was shopping with he was found dead on four year old daughter the third floor with a self inflicted gunshot wound and his victims were discovered on the second and third floors police said. My Knees rocked. I did to know what to do so i just ran with everybody else said Kevin Kleine 29, who was shopping with her four year old daughter at the West roads mall in a prosperous Neighbour Hood on the City a West Side. She said she hid in a dressing room with four other shoppers and an employee. Sgt. Teresa Negron said the gunman killed eight people then apparently killed himself. Authorities gave no motive for the attack and said they did not know whether he said anything during the ram Page. Police received a 911 Call from someone inside the mall and shots could be heard in the Back ground Negron said. By the time officers arrived six minutes later the shooting was Over she said. The Omaha world Herald reported the gunman had a military style haircut and a Black Backpack and wore a camouflage Vest. Everybody was scared and we did to know what was going on said Belene Esaw Agbara 31, a von Maur employee. We did to know what to do. I was praying that god protect Mickey Vickory who worked at von Maurs third floor service department said she heard shots at about 1 50 . She and her co workers and customers went into a Back closet behind the wrapping room to hide then emerged about a half hour later when police shouted to come out with their hands up. As police took them to another part of the mall for safety they saw the victims. We saw the bodies and we saw the blood she said. Keith Fidler another von Maur employee said he heard a burst of five to six shots followed by 15 to 20 More rounds. Fidler said he huddled in the Corner of the men a clothing department with about a dozen other employees until police yelled to get out of the store. A witness Shawn Vidlak said the shots sounded like a Nail gun. At first he thought it was noise from construction work at the mall. People started screaming about gunshots Vid Lak said. I grabbed my wife and kids we got out of there As fast As we shortly after the shooting a group of shoppers came out of the building with their hands raised. Some were still holding shopping bags. Police told people to Park their cars at businesses across from the mall and to wait for their loved ones then directed them to an Omaha hotel to await information. President George w. Bush was in Omaha on wednesday for a fundraiser but left about an hour before the shooting. Having just visited with so Many members of the Community in Omaha today the president is confident that they will pull together to Comfort one another White House press Secretary Dana Perino said. West roads mall is in the heart of Omaha at the intersection of its major expressway and interstate. With More than 135 stores and restaurants plus a Large Arcade and miniature Golf course in the base ment it is one of the largest malls in the Omaha area. Von Maur is an upscale 22-store Midwest depart ment store Chain where shoppers Are serenaded by live piano music and can have their purchases wrapped for free. It was the second mass shooting at a mall this year. In february nine people were shot five of them fatally at trolley Square mall in Salt Lake City. The gunman 18-year-old Sulejman Talovic was shot and killed by police. ? the associated press shooter had just lost his Job Omaha neb. ? the 19-year-old Man behind the deadliest shooting spree in Nebraska in almost 50 years left a suicide note. A Sarpy county Law enforcement official identified Robert a. Hawkins As the Man who shot and killed eight people and himself at West roads mall on wednesday afternoon. He was fired from a Job at a Bellevue Mcdonald a restaurant wednesday after Sev eral months on the Job said Debora Maruca whose family Hawkins had been staying with. Maruca said Hawkins told her he was accused of stealing $17 from the restaurant. Hawkins left a suicide note which was found by Maruca a family. A woman brought the note to the Sarpy county sheriffs office 30 minutes after the shooting spree. Hawkins previous criminal history includes an arrest Friday in Sarpy county on suspicion of contributing to the delinquency of a child being a minor in Possession of or dispensing alcohol and being a minor in pos session of an open alcoholic Container. He was also found guilty in 2005 of disorderly conduct and sentenced to seven Days in jail. Also in 2005, he was charged with intent to deliver a controlled substance but the charge was dismissed by prosecutors. ? Omaha world Herald ;