Police in Omaha shot and killed a woman after she allegedly attacked a young child with a knife outside a Walmart, intervening as the situation escalated into a life-threatening confrontation.
Officers responded shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday to the Walmart at 1606 South 72nd Street following multiple 911 calls, including one reporting a woman armed with a “large kitchen knife” targeting a child.
The initial caller asked for help but stopped providing details, prompting dispatchers to rely on subsequent reports to assess the danger.
Two officers arrived and approached the suspect, later identified as 31-year-old Noemi Guzman, who stood near a shopping cart with the child positioned in front of her. Police said she was holding a knife and refused commands to drop it.
Investigators later determined the weapon had been taken from inside the store.
Surveillance footage showed Guzman selecting the knife in a shopping aisle before moving toward the child and his mother.
Police said Guzman confronted the boy’s mother, identified as Sara, and ordered her to move through the store while keeping the child in the cart.
Authorities said Guzman made threats during the encounter and kept the knife visible as she directed the pair.
Authorities intercepted Guzman shortly after the group exited the store, closing the distance before the encounter moved further into the parking lot.
The situation turned violent when Guzman allegedly slashed the child, prompting immediate action from officers who fired their weapons and struck her. The confrontation ended seconds later, with police securing the scene.
The child’s mother and a bystander pulled the boy away and moved him to safety as officers focused on the suspect. Police said the child’s injuries were not life-threatening.
Police released still images from body camera footage showing Guzman making a stabbing motion toward the child.
Officials said Guzman did not know the child or his mother, adding that investigators have not identified a clear motive for the attack.
The boy’s parents later identified him as Cyler Hillman. Deputy Police Chief Scott Gray said the child suffered cuts to the left side of his face and to one of his hands.
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Family members shared photos showing visible injuries near the child’s ear and across his hand. He underwent surgery and remains hospitalized while recovering.
Authorities confirmed the officers involved have been placed on paid critical incident leave, a standard procedure following officer-involved shootings. They are expected to be interviewed as the investigation continues.
Police Chief Todd Schmaderer defended the officers’ response, saying their actions prevented further harm.
“The responding officers acted with professionalism and direct action to intervene and save a child’s life,” Schmaderer said.
“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 W. Ewing Jr. echoed that assessment, pointing to the speed of the response.
“I am grateful for the department’s professionalism and transparency,” he said, adding that the officers’ actions prevented a “larger tragedy.”
Investigators also examined Guzman’s prior history, which includes a series of violent incidents that raised concerns before Tuesday’s attack.
In 2024, authorities accused her of pouring a flammable liquid on her father and stabbing him.
During the same episode, she allegedly broke into St. Francis Cabrini Church in Omaha and caused significant damage inside the rectory.
A priest inside the building called 911 and barricaded himself in a room as Guzman moved through the property.
“Whatever room he was in, she busted through that room just as they were extracting [him] on that ladder truck,” Lt. Jake Ritonya said at the time.
“And then she was armed with a knife. So obviously it could have gone very bad.”
Police said Guzman later barricaded herself inside the church and sprayed bear spray at officers attempting to interveine.
“There was bear spray in the rectory that she sprayed at my officers when we tried to make contact,” Ritonya said.
“So we tried multiple avenues to contact her with drones and negotiators, and it just wasn’t — she was in a mental health crisis.”
Authorities eventually took her into custody as she tried to jump from a window.
Despite facing multiple felony charges, she was later released on her own recognizance.
Court records later showed she was found not responsible by reason of insanity. A judge ordered her to undergo evaluation on an outpatient basis.
A subsequent ruling determined she was suffering from mental illness, including schizophrenia.
The court stated she remained a danger to herself and others but allowed her to live in the community with family support under supervision.
A one-year review of her condition had been scheduled shortly before the Walmart incident occurred.
Earlier records show Guzman had also been convicted in 2018 of third-degree assault.
The Omaha case comes amid another violent incident involving a knife that occurred at a different Walmart and ended in a fatality.
In Arkansas, officers responded just before 11 p.m. on March 31, to reports of a stabbing at a Walmart Supercenter on U.S. 65 in Conway. Police arrived within about a minute and encountered a man still holding a knife.
Authorities identified the suspect as 37-year-old Zeddrick Ross, who allegedly refused repeated commands to drop the weapon and advanced toward officers.
One officer fired a shot that missed, while another deployed a Taser, allowing collegues to take Ross into custody.
The victim, 32-year-old Jordanne Drinkwater, was treated at the scene by officers and first responders, but died from her injuries.
Investigators said Ross did not know the victim and had no prior interaction with her, describing the attack as random.
Police said Ross later told a detective he believed he was being followed by a “demon” and was protecting himself with the knife.
According to the affidavit, Ross said he thought he was attacking the demon when he stabbed Drinkwater, before realizing she was not the demonic creature he believed had been pursuing him.
Authorities also said Ross admitted to stealing the knife earlier and entering the store with plans to get hold of an additional weapon.
He was booked into the Faulkner County Detention Center, and police confirmed no other individuals were injured during the incident.
An officer who fired a weapon during the confrontation has been placed on administrative leave, consistent with department policy as the investigation continues.
