Omaha, Nebraska – Authorities in Omaha have apprehended four adolescent individuals believed to be implicated in the recent assault of a 36-year-old man named Johnny Sneed. The incident, which occurred on Friday and resulted in a gunshot wound for Mr. Sneed, sparked a manhunt extending into the early hours of Saturday.
Around 3:23 p.m. on Friday, law enforcement officers were called to North 41st Street after a ShotSpotter system detected gunfire in the vicinity. During their investigation, they learned of Mr. Sneed, who had walked into Nebraska Medicine for treatment of a gunshot wound to his upper thigh. He reported having been shot at the J-N-J Grocery Store located at the intersection of 42nd and Bedford Avenue. His injuries were non-critical.
The law enforcement investigation pointed to two vehicles, a red and a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee, as being involved in the incident. The surveillance footage from the scene of the shooting highlighted these vehicles. Police subsequently established that both vehicles were stolen.
In the early hours of Saturday, at approximately 12:22 a.m., an officer from the Gang Unit observed the two Jeeps traveling together near N 16th & Commercial Avenue. Assistance was sought from additional Gang Unit officers, uniformed police, and ABLE-1, an airborne law enforcement unit. Attempts to stop the vehicles were made but both drivers refused to halt, leading to the initiation of a pursuit in light of the earlier shooting incident.
The chase saw both vehicles reportedly driving with disregard for safety regulations. The silver Jeep traversed into Iowa before returning to Omaha, whereas the red Jeep crashed into a light pole on North 100th Street & Taylor Street, eventually coming to a stop in a nearby yard. The silver Jeep similarly ended its run off-road, colliding with a fence in a backyard in the same vicinity.
Police report that multiple individuals exited both vehicles and attempted to evade capture on foot. The coordinated efforts of uniformed officers, K9 units, Gang officers, and the Nebraska State Patrol succeeded in detaining all four suspects, who were then transported to Omaha Police Headquarters for further questioning.
In the aftermath of the pursuit, police recovered two firearms from the red Jeep, one from the silver Jeep, and an additional weapon along the escape route taken by one of the individuals from the silver Jeep.
The suspects, aged 13 to 18, are now facing various charges. The 17-year-old is being held at DCYC (Douglas County Youth Center) on charges that include unlawful firearm possession, marijuana possession, unlawful occupancy, obstruction of police, and multiple misdemeanor warrants. The 13-year-old faces similar charges. The 18-year-old, identified as Puol Puol, is held at Douglas County Correction on charges including felony flight to avoid arrest, theft, leaving the scene of an accident, illegal firearm possession, obstructing police, and possession of a large quantity of marijuana. Finally, the 16-year-old is facing charges including unlawful occupancy, obstruction of police, and possession of an unregistered firearm.
