OMAHA, NE — Police fatally shot a 31-year-old woman who slashed a 3-year-old boy across the face with a stolen knife during an attempted kidnapping at a Walmart on Tuesday morning.
Noemi Guzman died at the scene after two officers opened fire when she refused commands to drop the weapon and began cutting the child in the store’s parking lot. The incident unfolded around 9:13 a.m. when a caretaker called 911 from inside the Walmart at 72nd and Pine streets, with another voice heard in the background saying “Stop. Keep walking,” according to Omaha Deputy Police Chief Scott Gray. The boy underwent surgery and is recovering from a large laceration across the left side of his face.
Surveillance footage revealed Guzman shoplifted a large kitchen knife from inside the store before approaching the child and his caretaker in a shopping aisle. “The suspect approached a female shopper and a 3-year-old boy, then displayed a large knife she had shoplifted from the store and ‘took possession of the child, essentially kidnapping the child,'” Gray said during a Tuesday news conference. Guzman forced the caretaker to walk ahead of the shopping cart while she controlled the cart with the child inside, directing them through the store and into the parking lot. The two women had “some verbal back and forth” for several minutes until officers arrived at 9:20 a.m., Gray said. Police body camera images show Guzman raising the knife over the boy, who was sitting in the shopping cart, as officers aimed their weapons at her.
Officers immediately gave Guzman multiple verbal commands to drop the knife upon their arrival, but she refused and made multiple threats with the weapon. “There is video that shows the suspect swiping the knife at the child, cutting him across the face. Officers at that time, at least one officer, fired their weapon, and the suspect is deceased at this scene,” Gray said. Two officers discharged their service weapons, striking Guzman, who was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving measures. A caretaker and bystander immediately removed the child from the cart and rendered aid before he was transported to the hospital. Police confirmed the child sustained injuries to his face and hand but is expected to survive. Gray said there was no indication Guzman knew the child or caretaker, and her motive remains unclear. The incident appeared isolated, and no officers were injured.
Court records reveal Guzman was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 2024 case where she allegedly stabbed her father and broke into St. Francis Cabrini Church. In that incident, investigators said Guzman doused her father with flammable liquid and cut him with a knife before fleeing to the church rectory, where she destroyed property while armed with a knife. A priest barricaded himself in a second-floor room and called 911, with police rescuing him through a window as Guzman broke through the door. She was assigned a mental health treatment plan in 2025 and had been scheduled for an annual review on June 12. Police confirmed they had contact with Guzman earlier Tuesday morning before the Walmart incident, though details of that interaction were not disclosed. Guzman had pleaded not guilty to charges of assault, arson, burglary and criminal mischief in the church case and was released on bond with orders to avoid contact with her parents, the church and its pastor.
The two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid critical incident leave, following standard department policy. The Omaha Police Department’s Officer-Involved Investigations Team is conducting the investigation with assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol and Douglas and Sarpy County Sheriff’s Offices. “The responding officers acted with professionalism and direct action to intervene and save a child’s life,” Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said in a statement. “The community can be reassured in knowing that Omaha police officers stand ready to act with courage and decisiveness in the most serious situations to protect the public.” Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. praised the officers’ quick response, saying he was “grateful for the department’s professionalism and transparency.” The incident was captured on officers’ body-worn cameras and store surveillance systems, providing extensive documentation of the events.
The Walmart store was largely empty during the investigation, with the parking lot cordoned off for several hours. Gray noted that Guzman’s actions inside the store would not have necessarily drawn attention from other shoppers. “They kind of just purposely but casually walk out of the store, so I don’t think anybody was actually looking at them as being a suspect of anything,” he said. Traffic around the area was impacted for about an hour, with 72nd Street reopening by 11 a.m. while the Walmart remained closed for investigation. The store reopened to the public around 2:50 p.m., according to local reports. A Walmart spokesperson said “Violence like this is unacceptable” and confirmed the company was working with police and supporting their investigation. Bystanders who witnessed the dramatic rescue described a chaotic scene, with one person heard saying “She’s cutting my son” during the incident.
The investigation remains ongoing as police review all available video footage and interview witnesses. Authorities have asked anyone who observed or recorded Guzman’s actions during the incident to contact the department. The boy’s family has not been identified, but his mother confirmed he was out of surgery as of Tuesday afternoon and is now with family members recovering from his injuries. The case highlights ongoing challenges with mental health treatment and supervision in the criminal justice system, particularly for defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity.
