Crime
Westside High School teacher Rebecca Geiger and another dead after domestic violence shooting in Sarpy County
The five deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
A teacher from Westside High School, Rebecca Geiger, 45, and her husband, Rory Geiger, 44, tragically lost their lives in a shooting on the southwest edge of the Omaha metro area.
The incident occurred Monday morning in a neighborhood south of Highway 50 and Giles Road and is believed by investigators to have originated from a domestic violence altercation.
Omaha police responded to a 911 call around 3 a.m. from South 143rd Street and Meadows Parkway.
The caller, reportedly the couple’s daughter, told dispatchers that her father had shot her mother and was now pointing the gun at her.
Authorities noted they had visited the same residence about a month prior for a domestic incident and had been warned by the individuals not to return.
Upon arrival Monday, officers were reportedly met with gunfire through a window of the home.
The deputies returned fire and subsequently entered the residence, where they found one of the victims.
Emergency responders attempted life-saving measures, but the individual was pronounced dead at the scene.
Five deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, per standard procedure.
Authorities report that none of the deputies sustained injuries. Investigators are currently reviewing body camera footage from the deputies as well as footage from cameras located inside and outside the home.
Crime
2 Christian County deputies killed in the line of duty, suspect Richard Bird also dead
The name of the second deputy has not yet been publicly released pending family notification.
Christian County, Mo. — A massive multi-agency manhunt in Christian County has ended with the suspect dead, but not before claiming the lives of two sheriff’s deputies and injuring two others.
According to Brad Cole, the suspect, Richard Bird, was shot and killed by law enforcement officers early Tuesday morning near the roundabout on State Highway 160 close to Reeds Spring.
Authorities confirmed that two deputies with the Christian County Sheriff’s Office were killed in the line of duty during the operation.
One of the fallen deputies has been identified as 30-year-old Deputy Gabriel Ramirez.
The name of the second deputy has not yet been publicly released pending family notification.
In addition to the two fatalities, one Christian County deputy and one deputy from the Webster County Sheriff’s Office were wounded during the exchange of gunfire.
Sheriff Cole stated that their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
The violence began around 4:00 p.m. Monday when a Christian County deputy conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of State Highway 160 and Route HH, south of Highlandville.
During that stop, Deputy Ramirez was fatally shot, prompting a Blue Alert and a large-scale manhunt for Bird.
After Bird’s vehicle was located abandoned, officers from across the Ozarks converged on the area. Sheriff Cole said approximately 100 officers, deputies, and state troopers participated in the search effort, along with federal partners including the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, and the ATF.
The search continued for hours into the early morning. A helicopter operated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol detected a moving heat signature in a wooded area near Reeds Spring. As deputies approached the location, Bird reportedly opened fire. Law enforcement officers returned fire, fatally striking the suspect and ending the threat.
While the suspect was neutralized, the outcome has left the community in mourning. Two deputies lost their lives in the line of duty, and two others were injured.
Sheriff Cole described the loss as devastating for the department and the broader community. Families of the fallen deputies are now grieving, and colleagues across multiple agencies are reflecting on the risks law enforcement officers face daily.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing as authorities continue to process the scene and review the circumstances surrounding the shootings.