A very sad incident happened in Crete, Nebraska, where a man, who had previously told his Hispanic neighbors to "go back to where they came from" and to "speak English," opened fire on them.
He injured seven people including four children, before taking his own life, authorities reported.
On Friday at 4:43 p.m., the Nebraska State Patrol received numerous calls about an active shooter situation in Crete.
State Patrol Col. John Bolduc provided details at a press conference on Saturday, reviewed by PEOPLE.
When Crete City police officers and Celine County deputies arrived at the scene, gunshots continued to ring out in the otherwise quiet neighborhood.
Amidst the chaos, officers and EMTs worked together to move the wounded from the back of the house to a safer area for immediate treatment and transportation to the hospital.
Upon reaching the victims' house, officers heard a single gunshot from the house behind them, Bolduc said.
In total, seven victims were identified: three adults, ages 22 to 43, and four children, ages 3 to 10.
Six of the victims were rushed to local hospitals, while a seventh victim later discovered he had been shot.
Currently, three victims, including two children, remain hospitalized, according to a news release from NSP.
Fifteen people lived in the home where the shootings occurred.
Some were inside the house when the shooting began, but most were outside.
At least one person was shot while inside the home.
As deputies evacuated victims, they established a perimeter to protect the surrounding neighbors.
All gunfire was traced back to one house, where a SWAT team eventually barricaded the shooter, identified as 74-year-old Billy Booth.
When the SWAT team entered Booth's home, they found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, with a shotgun nearby.
Authorities stated there was no verbal interaction between Booth and the victims immediately before the shooting, although they did have prior encounters.
Crete Police Chief Gary Young mentioned a single report where Booth had previously confronted the victims, flipping them off and telling them to "go home" and "speak English."
This interaction occurred in May.
"That resolved the situation, so we had no further contact," Young explained.
When asked about the potential racial motivation behind the shooting, Young acknowledged, "There could be, we don't know. Certainly, the context of 'Go home' and 'Speak English' suggests it."
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the shooting to come forward as the investigation into the incident and its motives continues.
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