Lincoln Police say DHHS workers knew man may be armed before shooting

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Lincoln Police shared new details about what led up to a shooting in the North Bottoms neighborhood on Tuesday.

On Sunday, 38-year-old Brent Lopez assaulted two teens at the Air Park Rec Center, according to police.

After the incident, police said Lopez brought a concealed handgun into the building.

Under a city ordinance, weapons are not allowed on city property.

But police said Lopez never drew the gun and complied with officers as they escorted him out.

“From the incident that happened on Sunday, there were no law violations that would warrant seizure of his weapon,” spokeswoman Erika Thomas said. “And when he was asked to lock up the gun on Sunday, that happened. The gun was locked up, and he was asked to leave the premises, and he did.”

Then on Tuesday, LPD officers visited Lopez around noon for a welfare check on him and his three kids, after a call from their mother.

Lopez recorded the meeting and posted it on YouTube. In the video, Lopez says he felt threatened by an “angry mob.”

The video shows that officers left within five minutes of arriving.

Sgt. Chris Vollmer said with threat claims, officers will assess the scene and how specific the threat is before moving forward.

“Small details can make big differences on whether or not there’s something that we can immediately follow up on,” he said.

Vollmer said with wellness checks, law enforcement may see things that “aren’t great but aren’t against the law.”

“We’re looking at, ‘Are basic needs met? Are they in physical danger?'” he said. “And if the answers of those are no, they refer them on to other community services,” such as the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Thomas said the DHHS workers who went to Lopez’s house around 4 p.m. had met with police beforehand and knew he may be armed.

“The caseworkers do have access to the police files, so that information is shared,” she said. “He was aware that the now-suspect did possess a handgun. He knew that information going in.”

Police said Lopez fired at the two DHHS workers multiple times, shooting one in the leg.

The caseworker’s injuries were not life-threatening.

Lopez was arrested on suspicion of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony and assault on an officer.

Police said his three kids were removed from the home and placed in a safe location.