Police said the woman appeared to be a stranger to the child and his caregiver, deepening questions about motive and timing.
OMAHA, Neb. — A woman accused of kidnapping a 3-year-old boy inside an Omaha Walmart and then cutting him with a knife outside the store was shot and killed by police Tuesday after officers said the child was attacked in front of them.
The case quickly became both a child assault investigation and a review of a fatal police shooting. Authorities said the child is expected to survive, but many basic questions were still unanswered by late Tuesday, including why the suspect targeted the boy and what warning signs, if any, came before the violence. Police said the suspect and the child’s caregiver did not appear to know each other. Local reports identified the woman as 31-year-old Noemi Guzman. Investigators from Omaha police, Nebraska State Patrol and the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office are reviewing witness statements and video.
Police said the sequence began after the woman entered the store by herself and allegedly stole a large kitchen knife. Deputy Chief Scott Gray said she approached a caregiver and the 3-year-old boy, displayed the blade and took control of the child. The caregiver was ordered to walk ahead of the cart while the suspect followed behind with the knife. Gray said the movement through the store and out toward the parking lot did not necessarily look alarming to other shoppers. “They kind of just purposely but casually walk out of the store,” Gray said, explaining why few people appeared to notice anything was wrong until the confrontation shifted outside.
Once in the driveway area, Gray said, the caretaker and suspect argued for several minutes. A 911 call brought officers to the scene at about 9:20 a.m., but police said the call itself was difficult to understand, leaving responding officers with only a partial picture of the threat ahead of them. When they arrived, they found the child in a shopping cart and the suspect holding a knife to him. Gray said officers gave commands, and video later reviewed by investigators showed the suspect begin “swiping the knife at the child,” cutting him across the face. At least one officer fired, and the woman died there. Police have not said whether both officers fired or how many shots were used to stop the attack.
The public record that emerged over the day added detail but also left important gaps. Police said the boy suffered a large laceration on the left side of his face and another injury to his hand. Local outlets later reported he underwent surgery at Children’s Hospital and that his family said he came through the procedure. Officers released body-camera stills that appeared to show the suspect raising the knife over the child as an officer pointed a gun at her. That imagery gave the public a glimpse of the final moments, but investigators have not yet released the full video or a more exact second-by-second account. They also have not said whether the suspect had any prior connection to the area, the store or the people involved.
The setting has sharpened the shock around the case. The Walmart near Aksarben Village is part of a busy commercial stretch, yet police said the encounter inside the store blended in long enough for the suspect to leave the building with the child. That has made the event stand out not just for its violence, but for how ordinary it looked until the danger became unmistakable. Walmart said in a statement that violence like this is unacceptable and that the company is supporting the investigation. By later Tuesday, the store had reopened, even as officers continued collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses about what they saw in the lot and near the entrance.
What comes next is likely to unfold on two tracks. Investigators still need to determine motive, reconstruct the suspect’s movements through the store and decide what additional evidence can be made public. At the same time, the officer-involved shooting will be reviewed under normal procedure, with outside agencies assisting Omaha police. Officials have not said when that review will be completed or when more footage might be released. For now, police are treating the attack as an isolated incident, and they say there is no broader danger to shoppers or nearby residents. The next significant development is expected to come when agencies finish reviewing video and witness interviews.
The case closed Tuesday with one family focused on a child’s recovery and a city waiting for fuller answers about a random act that turned a shopping trip into a deadly emergency. Investigators said more information should follow as the video review and formal reports move ahead.
Author note: Last updated April 15, 2026.