Crime
Nora Gottschalk, an 8-year-old Abundant Life Christian School student described the shooting
An 8-year-old student, Nora Gottschalk, described the terrifying moments she experienced during the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin.
“I was getting ready for lunch, so it was basically lunchtime, and then I just heard shooting,” Nora recounted. “And then there was a teacher, and she was screaming like, ‘Ahh, my leg! Help! Help!’”
Nora confirmed she knew the teacher who was calling out for help, adding, “I was really scared, and I was really sad.”
Other students shared similar accounts of the chaos that unfolded inside the building as gunfire and screams filled the halls before law enforcement arrived to evacuate them.
“I heard gunshots and screaming, and it was all really scary,” one student told at the reunification site, where families were brought back together following the incident.
The shooting triggered an immediate lockdown, with students quickly being notified that “this is not a drill.” Many students, fearful and uncertain, turned to technology to maintain contact with their families during the ordeal.
“I was texting her on my watch,” one student shared, referring to communication with their mother.
Parents, anxiously awaiting news, expressed immense relief when they were able to reunite with their children.
“There’s no better feeling than knowing your kids are safe,” said one mother tearfully after embracing her child.
The students’ firsthand accounts highlight the fear and trauma experienced during Monday’s tragedy as the community continues to process the devastating events.
Crime
Eric Bechtolt Killed After Shooting at Florence Tower in Omaha, Suspect Billy Dorrall Arrested
Omaha, NE – On Sunday evening, Omaha Police Department officers responded to an active shooting at Florence Tower, located at 5100 Florence Blvd, following multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire inside the building.
The first reports were received at 6:05 p.m., with at least three separate callers stating they had heard shots fired on the fifth or sixth floor of the apartment complex.
By 6:14 p.m., a fourth caller reported seeing a male suspect walking on the sixth floor carrying two handguns.
Uniform Patrol officers arrived on scene at 6:11 p.m. and began a floor-by-floor search of the building, starting from the fifth floor.
As officers ascended the south stairwell toward the sixth floor, they heard sounds of a disturbance.
Just as they neared the sixth-floor door, it was abruptly opened by a male suspect — later identified as 50-year-old Billy A. Dorrall.
At that moment, one officer discharged their service weapon, striking Dorrall in the left hip.
In response, Dorrall fired back down the stairwell and then retreated into the sixth-floor hallway.
Once back in the hallway, Dorrall reportedly fired multiple rounds, aiming both up and down the corridor, and threatened several residents at gunpoint.
A coordinated arrest team, equipped with a ballistic shield, moved into position while officers in the stairwell maintained containment. As they prepared to enter the hallway, officers heard additional gunfire.
The arrest team entered the hallway, issued loud verbal commands, and Dorrall surrendered without further incident.
He was immediately provided medical treatment by Omaha Fire Department personnel and transported to Nebraska Medicine, where he was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. He has since been released into police custody.
During the investigation, officers recovered surveillance footage from building cameras, which was provided by the Omaha Housing Authority.
The footage shows Dorrall behaving erratically and confronting residents before engaging in a verbal altercation with another tenant, identified as 45-year-old Eric M. Bechtolt.
The video shows Dorrall returning to his apartment, retrieving a firearm, and shooting Bechtolt multiple times in the hallway. Responding officers later found Bechtolt deceased outside the stairwell door.
Dorrall was interviewed by detectives and provided a full confession, admitting to the murder of Bechtolt.
He also expressed an intent to kill additional residents and responding officers had he not been stopped.
Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer issued a statement commending the officers involved:
“I want to commend the officers who responded to this incredibly dangerous situation. Their training, courage, and swift response undoubtedly prevented further loss of life. What unfolded at Florence Tower was tragic, and our thoughts and condolences are with the family and loved ones of Mr. Bechtolt. Our officers acted heroically under extreme pressure, and I am proud of their commitment to protecting the residents of Omaha.”
The department has released still images from surveillance footage, showing Dorrall armed with two handguns, along with crime scene photographs of the weapons, ammunition, and spent shell casings recovered from the scene.
The investigation remains ongoing.