A Target employee describes the chaos of his last work when a gunman came into the store and was later killed by the police.
The gunman who was killed after firing shots with an AR-15 at a west Omaha Target Tuesday had purchased the rifle four days prior at a sporting goods store, officials said.
Omaha police identified the shooter as 32-year-old Joseph M. Jones of Omaha.
Jones walked into the superstore, located at 17810 West Center Road, about noon Tuesday — with the AR-15 rifle plus 13 loaded magazines of ammunition — and began shooting.
Joseph M. Jones, seen on Target video surveillance on Tuesday. He was fatally shot by an Omaha police officer after being given commands to drop the rifle.
At least 29 people called 911, the first at 11:59 am, to report the shooter.
The initial responding officers — multiple Omaha police officers and a Nebraska State Patrol trooper — arrived at the store and confronted the gunman.
The officers yelled at him several times to drop the rifle.
Then, Omaha Police Officer Brian Vanderheiden fired at Jones, killing him.
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Vanderheiden has been with Omaha police for 20 years, officials said. He was placed on paid administrative leave, following department policy.
Authorities have not yet specified how many shots Jones and Vanderheiden fired.
Omaha Police Officer Brian Vanderheiden
OPD released nine photos, most from Target surveillance cameras, showing Jones entering and walking around the store.
Jones, wearing a green ballcap, a brown sweatshirt and black pants, turns to face a video camera in the Target vestibule entrance, staring directly at it.
At one point, Jones turned his hat backward and appeared to pose in front of that camera, holding the AR-15 rifle with his finger on the trigger and pointing it upward.
Other surveillance photos show Jones walking inside the Target store while brandishing the rifle.
OPD shared one still from an officer’s body camera video that shows Jones walking in the women’s section, facing the officer. No other people are seen in the photo.
That photo is the moment when the group of officers approached Jones, OPD said.
Another photo shows Jones dropping a black coat he entered with onto the floor of a main aisle near the cosmetics area. A photo taken later by crime scene technicians shows the coat on the ground and what appears to be three AR-15 magazines scattered near a makeup shelf.
Omaha police said Jones purchased the rifle four days prior at Cabela’s, an outdoor recreation retailer.
Jones’ only public Nebraska criminal record is a DUI charge from 2017 in Sarpy County. He was initially charged with a second-offense DUI, a misdemeanor, which was amended to a first-offense DUI.
He pleaded no contest and was ordered to serve 18 months of probation starting in April 2017. Court records indicate that a judge approved Jones’ early release from probation in July 2018, because his probation officer said Jones had completed all of the requirements.
Jones was also convicted of several misdemeanors in Iowa including drug, trespassing, DUI and theft offenses from 2009 to 2014.
Jones’ family was unable to be reached Wednesday evening.
Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies rushed to the target after reports of at least six shots fired and people who were fleeing the building.
After Jones was killed, authorities searched the store at least three times to look for injured people and found none.
Many shoppers and employees fled through various store exits and went to nearby businesses for refuge. Some hid in the fitting rooms or bathrooms.
A crime scene photo taken by Omaha police of the AR-15 rifle used Tuesday at a west Omaha Target. The rifle was purchased four days before at Cabela’s, police said.
Target released a statement Tuesday expressing gratitude that everyone escaped injury.
“The store will remain closed temporarily, during which time we will provide our team members full compensation and access to on-site counseling for those who need it,” it said. “We thank the Omaha Police Department for their fast response and we continue to partner with them on their investigation.”
Shoppers returned to the superstore Wednesday afternoon to collect their personal items they may have left in the store amid the shooting.
Authorities had opened the parking lot Tuesday night for people to retrieve their vehicles.
Target employee hides during Omaha shooting
Photos: Shots fired at west Omaha Target midday Tuesday
Customers enter the Target at 17810 West Center Road Wednesday, one day after fleeing the store when a gunman started firing. An Omaha police officer shot and killed the man.
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Customers line up Wednesday so they can retrieve their belongings a day after they fled a Target at 17810 West Center Road.
CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD HERALD
Employees and customers retrieve their belongings from the Target at 17810 West Center Road in Omaha Wednesday. A gunman entered the store one day earlier and started shooting, sparking panic among those inside.
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A sign tells shoppers of the temporary closure at the Target at 17810 West Center Road in Omaha Wednesday. A gunman walked into the store the day before and was killed by police.
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Employees and customers retrieved their belongings Wednesday, one day after they fled the Target at 17810 West Center Road when a man walked in and started firing an AR-15 style rifle. An Omaha police officer shot and killed the man.
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Police tape is still present Wednesday, one day after an Omaha police officer shot and killed an armed man who entered the Target store at 17810 West Center Road and started shooting.
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Emergency personnel respond to an active shooter situation at the Super Target at 17810 West Center Road in Omaha on Tuesday. The suspect was shot dead by Omaha Police. There were no reports of other shooting victims.
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Emergency personnel respond to an active shooter situation at the Super Target at 17810 West Center Road in Omaha on Tuesday. The suspect was shot dead by Omaha Police. There were no reports of other shooting victims.
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Neal Bonacci, with the Omaha Police Department, speaks as emergency personnel respond to an active shooter situation at the Super Target at 17810 West Center Road in Omaha on Tuesday. The suspect was shot dead by Omaha Police. There were no reports of other shooting victims.
ANNA REED THE WORLD HERALD
Emergency personnel respond to an active shooter situation at the Super Target at 17810 West Center Road in Omaha on Tuesday. The suspect was shot dead by Omaha Police. There were no reports of other shooting victims.
ANNA REED THE WORLD HERALD
Emergency personnel respond to an active shooter situation at the Super Target at 17810 West Center Road in Omaha on Tuesday. The suspect was shot dead by Omaha Police. There were no reports of other shooting victims.
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Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer and others respond to an active shooter situation at the Super Target at 17810 West Center Road in Omaha on Tuesday. The suspect was shot dead by Omaha Police. There were no reports of other shooting victims.
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A shopping cart with purchases sits in the parking lot as emergency personnel respond to an active shooter situation at the Super Target at 17810 West Center Road in Omaha on Tuesday. The suspect was shot dead by Omaha Police. There were no reports of other shooting victims.
ANNA REED THE WORLD HERALD
Emergency personnel respond to an active shooter situation at the Super Target at 17810 West Center Road in Omaha on Tuesday. The suspect was shot dead by Omaha Police. There were no reports of other shooting victims.
ANNA REED THE WORLD HERALD
Emergency personnel respond to an active shooter situation at the Super Target at 17810 West Center Road in Omaha on Tuesday. The suspect was shot dead by Omaha Police. There were no reports of other shooting victims.
ANNA REED THE WORLD HERALD
Employees walk away from an active shooter situation at the Super Target at 17810 West Center Road in Omaha on Tuesday. The suspect was shot dead by Omaha Police. There were no reports of other shooting victims.
ANNA REED THE WORLD HERALD
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Omaha police bomb K9 investigate the scene of a shooting at the Target at 17810 West Center Road on Tuesday.
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Law enforcement, including an Omaha police bomb K9 look at a car in the parking lot after a shooting at a target at 17810 West Center Road on Tuesday.
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Omaha police investigate the scene of a shooting at a target at 17810 West Center Road on Tuesday.
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The Omaha police mobile command unit is parked in front of the scene of a shooting at a target at 17810 West Center Road on Tuesday.
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The Omaha police mobile command unit is parked in front of the scene of a shooting at a target at 17810 West Center Road on Tuesday.
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Multiple law enforcement officers on the scene of a shot fire call at a target at 17810 West Center Road on Tuesday.
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Multiple law enforcement officers on the scene of a shot fire call at a target at 17810 West Center Road on Tuesday.
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Multiple law enforcement officers on the scene of a shot fire call at a target at 17810 West Center Road on Tuesday.
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An agent with the FBI is on the scene of a shot fire call at a target at 17810 West Center Road on Tuesday.
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Multiple law enforcement officers on the scene of a shot fire call at a target at 17810 West Center Road on Tuesday.
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Multiple law enforcement officers on the scene of a shot fire call at a target at 17810 West Center Road on Tuesday.
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A US Marshall on the scene of a shot fire call at a target at 17810 West Center Road on Tuesday.
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