Noemi Guzman, 31, was fatally shot by Omaha police officers Tuesday morning April 14, 2026 after she allegedly shoplifted a large kitchen knife inside the Walmart Supercenter at 72nd and Pine streets in south Omaha, Nebraska, then forced a 3-year-old boy and his guardian into a shopping cart and attempted to abduct the child.
Officers arrived at the southern parking lot entrance around 9:15 a.m. following multiple 911 calls reporting a woman armed with a knife threatening a young child. Guzman was standing next to the cart with the boy inside while making threats.
Responding Omaha police officers issued repeated verbal commands for Noemi Guzman to drop the knife at the Walmart parking lot near 72nd and Pine streets. She refused and began cutting the 3-year-old boy across his face with the blade. Two patrol officers then fired their service weapons, striking Guzman.
A bystander and the child’s guardian immediately removed the boy from the cart and began rendering aid while officers attempted lifesaving measures on Guzman. She was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured during the encounter.
The Omaha community has been left stunned by the rapid and violent confrontation involving Noemi Guzman at the Walmart on 72nd and Pine streets. The 3-year-old boy sustained facial injuries but is expected to recover fully after surgery. Family members of the child described the incident as terrifying and expressed gratitude to the officers and bystanders who intervened quickly to protect the boy. The store was temporarily closed during the response before reopening later in the day.
Omaha Police Department investigators have confirmed the shooting death of Noemi Guzman at the Walmart parking lot near 72nd and Pine streets as an officer-involved incident. Body camera footage and store surveillance captured Guzman shoplifting the knife inside the store, approaching the child and guardian, and brandishing the weapon before forcing them toward the exit. The two officers involved have been placed on paid critical incident leave as is department policy while the case is reviewed.
The Omaha Police Department continues its investigation into the April 14, 2026 officer-involved shooting at the Walmart on 72nd and Pine streets and has asked any independent witnesses or anyone with video of the incident to contact the department. The case remains active as officials review body camera footage and other evidence. Support resources for the child’s family and grief counseling services are available for those affected by the tragedy in south Omaha.
