OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The site of a night of trick or treating is now an investigation site.
Police say Dontavius Levering drove onto a blocked road during a big Halloween event in the Minne Lusa neighborhood in Omaha.
After attempts to get the driver to stop, an officer fired his gun, injuring Levering. He is expected to survive. The shooting left neighbors shaken up.
"I was in the back and heard people screaming and then heard the gunshots," Beth Richards said. "It was terrifying, it was like, is this really happening?"
Sadness is a sentiment felt by the Minne Lusa neighborhood. They say it should have been a day when families could walk freely through the streets with kids and costumes in tow. But the night ended on a different note.
"You never think that something like that would happen to you or anywhere near you," resident Flynn Rickerel said. "I don't know what the odds of that are."
For more than 10 years, "Halloween on the Boolevard" has been happening in the neighborhood where neighbors and local organizations set up treat booths and homeowners hand out candy.
Last year, they started closing off the street, drawing in thousands of kids and families, according to the neighborhood association.
"We've known our neighbors, we've known our neighbors a long time. We've seen their children grow up," said Michelle Jackson-Triplett, Miller Park Minne Lusa Neighborhood Association President.
It's an event that bonds the community.
"We always get together. They're always talking about what they're gonna do next year. And then for something like this to happen, it's tough for the children. It's tough for the volunteers," Jackson-Triplett said.
"I woke up this morning, crying," volunteer Beth Richards said.
Richards helped set up a hot dog stand for the families to enjoy. Instead, the shooting left people taking "refuge" in her home.
"One of our ladies here in the neighborhood, two of them sitting out front handing out candy, one of them was crawling through the front door, terrified. People were coming into the house, trying to hide," Richards said.
Despite the incident, organizers of the trick-or-treating are not deterred from bringing it back next year. In fact, they want to make it better than ever.
"We have to bring it back, we can't let this ruin our neighborhood, we can't let what happened, we just can't let it be," Richards said.
There's a Miller Park Minne Lusa Neighborhood Association meeting this week. Safety is expected to be discussed.
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