10-Year-Old Nebraska Boy Shot and Killed on Thanksgiving, Father Arrested

The child’s father, Will McDonald, has been arrested for “criminal homicide, use of a weapon-gun and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person,” police say

Omaha Police Department

Will McDonald was arrested for the death of his son, 10-year-old Kendrick McDonald.

A 10-year-old boy was shot and killed in Omaha, Nebraska, on Thanksgiving, and his father has been arrested.

On Thursday night, police arrived at the scene of the shooting just after 11:30 p.m and found the child, Kendrick McDonald, suffering from a gunshot wound, according to a Friday press release from the Omaha Police Department (OPD).

Kendrick was transported to a nearby hospital, Nebraska Medicine, by the Omaha Fire Department. He died at the hospital.

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Kendrick’s father, 47-year-old Will McDonald, has been arrested for “criminal homicide, use of a weapon-gun, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person,” per the release. He is being held without bail at the Douglas County Jail.

“The Omaha Police Department offers its deepest condolences to Kendrick’s family for their loss,” the department wrote.

The OPD’s investigation into Kendrick’s death is ongoing.

Omaha Police Department

Kendrick’s father, 47-year-old Will McDonald, has been arrested for “criminal homicide, use of a weapon-gun, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person,” per the OPD.

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According to the Omaha World-Herald, investigators are not yet sure what happened, but the shooting may have occurred while a car alarm sounded near the McDonalds’ home.

“We do know that there was allegedly a car alarm going off, and for whatever reason the suspect/father went outside to maybe investigate that,” Omaha Police Capt. Jeremy Christensen said, per the Omaha outlet.

“We’re not 100 percent on that, but we are receiving information that a car alarm was going off,” he continued. “As to exactly what transpired and the why of it, we’re still trying to piece that together through our investigation.”

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As of Friday, Christensen said police were unsure whether Kendrick’s mother was present and whether Will mistook the 10-year-old for a car thief.

“We’re still trying to figure out the ins and outs of that through the investigation,” he said, per the Omaha World-Herald.

Christensen did, however, say that a handgun was recovered at the scene of the shooting, and revealed that there were other children present in the house.

He declined, however, to share the number of times the child was shot, the newspaper reported.

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According to Don Kleine, an attorney for Douglas County, prosecutors could file charges as early as Sunday, per the Omaha World-Herald.

“It’s obviously very tragic. But we have to determine if [Will] was justified in doing what he did,” Kleine said, per the outlet.

And, “at this point in time, it doesn’t appear that he was justified in firing,” per Kleine.

“You hear this and you go, ‘Oh no, it’s just horrible,’” the attorney added. “A little boy’s death like this. It’s just senseless.”

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