4 children, 3 adults injured in Nebraska home after neighbor opens fire: Police

Seven people were injured, including four children aged three to 10, in a shooting in Crete, Nebraska, on Friday afternoon.

The suspect, Billy Booth, 74, was later found dead in his home across the street from what authorities said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. at a residential property on Crestline Drive in Crete, according to Nebraska State Patrol Capt. Sean Caradori.

“It appears that all of the victims of the shooting will survive,” Caradori said at a news conference Friday.

Nebraska State Patrol Col. John A. Bolduc confirmed at a news conference Saturday that “multiple shots were fired” by Booth from inside his home. They do not know the exact number of shots fired.

Bolduc said he does not believe there was any verbal contact between Booth and any of the victims in the moments before the shooting.

However, there was a history between Booth and the victims' families, police said.

Nebraska Crete Police Chief Gary Young said there was a report in May in which victims said Booth gave them the finger, told them to go back where they came from and told them to speak English.

Asked if investigators believe the shooting was racially motivated, Young said: “It's possible, we don't know. The context of 'Go Home' and 'Speak English' certainly lends itself to that.”

Authorities initially believed six people had been injured, but “a seventh patient realized he had been injured later in the evening,” Mr. Bolduc revealed.

The victims were taken to the medical centre in the Crete region and some of them were then transferred to other medical centres for further treatment.

“All of the injuries are consistent with shotgun blasts,” Bolduc said.

He added that “most of the victims were outside the home at the time of the shooting, but at least one was inside the home when she was shot.”

Although all of the victims are expected to survive, Bolduc noted that “recovery will be long for some of them.”

A friend of one of the victims spoke to ABC affiliate KETV and claimed the shooter had previously made inflammatory remarks before “shooting up the house.” He said the shooter shot his friend four times in the back, as well as his friend's mother.

According to Boldouc, the police heard “a single gunshot” in a house located opposite the one where the victims were found. They later discovered that Booth had died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

They also discovered two firearms in the home, but only one shotgun was believed to have been used in the incident. To Boldouc's knowledge, Booth was legally allowed to own a firearm.

“All of the shots came from a single residence at 1810 Parkland Street.” Bolduc said Booth's home was and where he was found.

Investigators do not believe there are any other suspects involved. Investigators said they are still trying to determine a motive in the case and the investigation is ongoing.

Crete police officers, Saline County deputies, Nebraska state troopers and Nebraska Game and Parks officers responded to the scene, in addition to fire departments from nearby towns.

The Nebraska State Police SWAT team responded with several armored vehicles, and Caradori said they “broke through the door of the house where the gunfire was coming from” around 6:40 p.m.

Caradori confirmed that no law enforcement officials fired weapons.

“I want all of Crete to know that this situation has been resolved and that there is no threat to the public,” Caradori said.