‘Just terrifying’: Authorities say Omaha active shooter drill was so realistic it’s a crime
OMAHA, Neb. (Molly Hudson and Jon Kipper, KMTV) — An active shooter drill that included simulated gunfire and people posing as injured victims terrified employees of Catholic Charities in May and led to six felony charges for a Douglas County man.
While the man, 27-year-old John Channels, was hired to conduct active shooter training, employees and bystanders in the area were completely unaware that the training would include simulated gunfire, according to documents.
“I’ve never seen a situation like this, where a person has a real gun shooting blanks,” Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said.
Channels is now facing five felony counts of terroristic threats and one count of using a weapon to commit a felony.
The incident occurred May 19, just days after a gunman opened fire in a Buffalo, New York, grocery store and less than a week before the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Police say they arrived at a chaotic scene of people running away from Catholic Charities near 93rd and Bedford Streets.
Eventually, they found Channels, who said he was posing as a gunman and identified himself as a civilian police officer at Offutt Air Force Base.
Employees “thought it was a real active shooter,” Kleine said. “There were people calling 911.”
Police say two employees, Carrie Walter and Mike Welna, organized the training and paid Channels $2,500 to conduct it. Court documents say Channels insisted that employees be left in the dark, which left Walter uncomfortable.
The arrest affidavit says Walter was seeking active shooter training because the organization recently moved into a building that included a domestic violence unit.
It appears that employees had little idea what to expect, only being alerted of an “Active Threat Response Training Exercise.”
One employee thought it would include a speaker and a PowerPoint presentation.
Instead, the court documents describe disorder and panic: employees screaming, people running down hallways looking for exits. One woman tried to jump into a dumpster from a retaining wall.
A neighbor who lives across the street remembers being alarmed when hearing gunshots outside his apartment.
“We all thought there was an active shooting, and it was just terrifying, and sure it was actually quite traumatic for most of us,” said the neighbor, Matthew Turvey.
Kleine said that this could have been way worse and that this is not how the drill should have been conducted.
“Somebody could have had a firearm there and used it,” he said. “Someone could have had a heart attack, that was, you know, because of the fright factor, or fell or hurt themselves in that manner.”
Denise Bartels, the executive director of Catholic Charities, said Channels “clearly misrepresented himself and his qualifications.”
“We deeply regret following his recommendations and selecting him for the training,” Bartels said.
Channels was set to make his first appearance in Douglas County Court on Thursday.
He also faces two felony charges in a separate case.
Investigators say Channels forced a 12- to 13-year-old girl to perform oral sex on him several years ago. That case has moved to Douglas County District Court.
***
Read the full statement from Catholic Charities Executive Director Denise Bartels:
Over the years, Catholic Charities has been successful because of the talented and dedicated staff who care deeply about our community and our mission. The health and safety of our staff: mentally, physically, and spiritually is our foremost concern. Our intention in holding the training on May 19th was for the safety and security of our staff and to prepare for the sad reality that organizations face today.
Mr. Channels was selected based upon recommendations from respected sources, and he clearly misrepresented himself and his qualifications. He did not follow the agreed-upon procedures for the training, mishandled its implementation, and did not complete the pre-training communication with Omaha Police and 911 dispatchers. We deeply regret following his recommendations and selecting him for the training.
Immediately following the event, our staff came together to address the incident, and all concerns. All staff were offered compassion and support as well as mental health services. We have continued to offer care and mental health support for anyone still affected by the drill.
Additionally, we fully cooperated with the Omaha Police Department’s investigation of Mr. Channels mishandling of the training. We will continue to work with the proper authorities to make sure that no other organization is victimized by Mr. Channels with this type of training.
