A woman was fatally shot by an Omaha police officer earlier this month after she slashed a 3-year-old boy’s face with a stolen kitchen knife at the Walmart near UNO, prompting discussions surrounding mental health and the lack of support for patients and families in Nebraska’s criminal justice and medical systems.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, April 14, in a Walmart parking lot near 72nd and Pine Streets. The woman was later identified as 31-year-old Noemi Guzman. The actions by law enforcement ensured that Guzman’s violent actions at the Walmart would be her last, but court records are showing that this particular violent outburst was hardly her first.
Guzman had previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Although past research has found schizophrenic individuals are far more likely to be victims of violence rather than perpetrators of it, Guzman had a history of acting violently…