West Omaha Target store reopens after shooting

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - The Target store in west Omaha reopened its doors Thursday morning, two days after an armed man firing shots in the store was killed by an Omaha Police officer.

The Target located near 180th and West Center Road told 6 News they would reopen at 10 a.m. Thursday. The store had been closed since Tuesday’s shooting.

The store’s director, Drew Guenther, again thanked Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer and the entire police department for their quick response to Tuesday’s incident.

“While we’re looking forward to moving past the events of Tuesday afternoon, we’d be remiss not to thank our guests and community for the kind outreach these past few days. It’s a reminder of how much Omaha feels like family and why we’re grateful to be part of this community. We’re also grateful to the Omaha Police Department, both in the initial response that likely saved lives, and in the ongoing support from Chief Schmaderer and his team.”
Drew Guenther, Target store director

Joseph Jones, 32, of Omaha, was killed by an Omaha Police officer after walking into the Target store with a semi-automatic rifle and more than a dozen magazines of ammunition around noon Tuesday and began firing shots, according to police and witness reports. Police said Jones had purchased the weapon at Cabela’s four days earlier.

Counselors will be on-site at the store for the next few days as employees come back to work, Guenther said.

Police allowed customers who fled the shooting scene Tuesday to return there briefly on Wednesday afternoon to obtain the personal items they left behind. Those unable to return at this time were also able to contact the store to make other arrangements.

Mayor Jean Stothert said she went out to the store Thursday and talked with the staff.

“I went out to Target today and met with the general manager and met with the staff and talked to them, and they are amazing,” she said. “I really can’t say enough about the staff, too. They just pulled together. They wanted to get back to work; they wanted to be things back to normal. Their attitude about what went on is really amazing.”

She said she was also encouraged by the support from the community.

“I couldn’t be happier about how people are responding at this time,” she said. “...People that are working the stores, they said they have had just such an outpouring from the community that is really really positive, too.”

Stothert also said she had spoken with the two OPD officers who were shot during a fatal altercation with a man at a storage facility on Monday night.

“I talked to both of them, and they are doing well, and the outpouring that they have from the community has just been amazing, too. So we’re driving a very grateful community today,” she said.