At approximately 4:33 p.m. Friday, Saline County 911 received multiple reports of an active shooter incident occurring in the 1200 block of Crestline Drive in Crete. Crete Police Officers and Saline County Deputies responded and arrived within a few minutes. As they approached the scene, officers could hear gunfire still occurring. They located several victims inside a home on Crestline Drive and identified that the gunfire was coming from a house across the street.
Officers and the first EMTs on scene evacuated the victims to safety so they could be transported for treatment. In total, there were seven gunshot victims. Six were initially identified and transported to Crete Area Medical Center. The seventh realized hours later that he had been struck and was transported to the hospital.
Out of respect for the request for privacy, NSP will not be releasing the names of the victims. There were four children injured in this shooting, ranging from ages 3 to 10. There were three adults injured, ranging from ages 22 to 43.
As of early Saturday afternoon, four patients have been treated and released from area hospitals. Three victims remain at a hospital receiving care. Two of the victims are at Children’s Hospital in Omaha and one remains at Bryan Health West Campus in Lincoln. All injuries at this point are believed to be non-life-threatening.
As the victims were being removed from the scene, additional responders including deputies and troopers organized a perimeter around the scene. The NSP SWAT Team was activated.
At approximately 6:40 p.m., the SWAT Team made entry into the home where the gunfire had originated, 1810 Parkland Street, and located the occupant deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The SWAT team located a shotgun near the suspect. The suspect has been identified as Billy Booth, 74, of Crete.
NSP investigators were then able to begin their investigation of the scene. Investigators located an additional firearm inside the residence, but investigators believe the shotgun was the only weapon used in the shooting. Preliminary investigation shows that all rounds fired by Booth came from inside his house.
There were approximately 15 people at the victims’ residence at the time of the shooting. Most of the victims were in the yard, but at least one victim was struck while inside the house on Crestline Drive.
The Nebraska State Patrol, Crete Police Department, and Saline County Sheriff would like to thank the fire and rescue teams from Crete, Wilber, Dorchester, Pleasant Dale, and SW Rural for their quick response as well as Crete Area Medical Center, Bryan Health, and Children’s Hospital for their treatment of the victims.
The investigation remains ongoing.