Nebraska Boy Fatally Shot on Thanksgiving, Father Arrested

Omaha authorities say a 10-year-old boy was shot and killed on Thanksgiving Day. His father has been arrested for “criminal homicide, use of a weapon-gun and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.”

On Thursday night, police responded to a call of a shooting just after 11:30 p.m. At the scene, they found the child, Kendrick McDonald with a gunshot wound, a press release from the Omaha Police Department (OPD) confirmed.

The child was transported to a nearby hospital where he died.

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.” He is being held without bail at the Douglas County Jail, PEOPLE reported.

“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.

Investigators are still learning what caused the shooting, but reportedly a car alarm sounded near the McDonald’s 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.”

As of Friday, Christensen said police were unsure whether Kendrick’s mother was home and if 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.

A handgun was recovered at the scene of the shooting, and other children were present in the house.

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

“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.”