Lincoln man sentenced to prison for shooting DHHS caseworker

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A Lincoln man was sentenced Monday for shooting a Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services caseworker last year.

Lancaster County District Judge Kevin McManaman sentenced Brent Lopez, 38, to at least 25 years in prison, according to court records.

He was found guilty of first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault, two counts of using a weapon to commit a felony and two counts of third-degree assault.

On Sept. 26, two DHHS child welfare caseworkers went to Lopez’s home in the North Bottoms neighborhood.

As they approached the house near Seventh and Y streets, Lopez opened the front door and fired at them, court documents say.

One of the caseworkers was shot in his thigh and buttocks, according to police.

His wounds were not life-threatening.

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

Lopez told the caseworkers that he shot at them because he thought they “were the cops,” an arrest affidavit says.

Officers had visited Lopez’s home earlier that day on a welfare check requested by his children’s mother.

Lopez posted a video of the interaction on YouTube. In it, he said he felt threatened by an “angry mob.”

Two days before the shooting, Lopez was fired from the Air Park Rec Center after punching two teenagers.

SEE ALSO: Lincoln rec center employee cited in fight with two teens, police say