Crime
24-Year-Old Mario Harris Arrested After Entering ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Academy in New Orleans with Gun
NEW ORLEANS — A lockdown at ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Academy in New Orleans East has been lifted following a tense incident Tuesday morning in which a man entered the school with a firearm.
Authorities confirmed that no shots were fired and no injuries occurred.
The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Mario Harris, was taken into custody without incident after he entered the school building and requested medical assistance.
According to officials with the New Orleans Police Department, Harris approached staff members in the school’s front office and asked for help.
As staff worked to assess the situation, Harris reportedly revealed a firearm while still seated in the office.
School administrators immediately contacted law enforcement, and the school was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure.
Staff members and responding officers from the New Orleans Police Department acted swiftly to ensure the safety of students and faculty, subduing Harris without further escalation.
Police confirmed that Harris did not discharge the weapon at any point during the incident.
Mental health counselors have since been deployed to the campus to provide support to students and staff in the aftermath.
Parents were notified and have been given the option to pick up their children for the remainder of the day, though classes are continuing under heightened safety protocols.
Mario Harris was arrested at the scene and is currently in police custody.
Authorities have not yet released information regarding potential charges or Harris’s motive.
The investigation remains ongoing. School officials and law enforcement praised the rapid response of staff and officers, noting that their actions were instrumental in bringing the situation to a safe resolution.
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.