On a tragic Wednesday afternoon in Omaha, Nebraska, the life of Angella C. "Angie" Schuster, a 36-year-old White female, was cut short in a senseless act of violence. On December 5, 2007, Schuster was at her job as a department manager at the Von Maur department store in the Westroads Mall when a gunman opened fire, killing eight people before taking his own life.
The shooter was identified as 19-year-old Robert Hawkins.
Armed with a semi-automatic rifle he had stolen from his stepfather, Hawkins entered the Von Maur store and began shooting indiscriminately. Schuster was one of eight victims who lost their lives during the rampage. The attack sent shockwaves through the Omaha community and the nation, marking another tragic chapter in the history of mass shootings in the United States.
In the aftermath of the horrific event, it was revealed that Hawkins had a troubled history. An hour before the shooting, his mother had given the Sarpy County Sheriff's Department a suicide note from him. The investigation into the massacre concluded that Hawkins acted alone, and with his death, the case was closed. There were no arrests to be made, leaving a community to mourn the devastating loss of innocent lives, including that of Angella Schuster. Friends and family remembered her as a diligent and caring manager, a beautiful person with a welcoming smile who touched the lives of many.
