Dianne Marie Clavin Trent, a 53-year-old White woman, found her life tragically cut short on December 5, 2007, during a horrific mass shooting at the Von Maur department store in Omaha, Nebraska. Remembered by a neighbor as an "incredibly sweet person," Dianne was a dedicated worker and a kind soul who enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, like tending to the flowers on her porch and sharing tea with friends.
Having been divorced for many years and with no children, she lived a quiet life in a northwest Omaha town house with her beloved small dog and two cats.
Originally from Omaha, Dianne had moved back to the city about eight years prior to her death to be closer to her family after the unexpected passing of her husband, Pete. She was a cherished sister and aunt, survived by a brother and four sisters, along with 23 nieces and nephews. Her thoughtful and caring nature was evident even in her final moments. Working in the customer service department at Von Maur, she was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, reporting the shooting and trying to get help for others, when she was fatally wounded. Her niece recalled that Dianne always put others before herself, noting that she could have sought safety in a storage area but chose to stay and make the emergency call.
The perpetrator of this senseless act of violence was 19-year-old Robert Hawkins, who opened fire inside the busy Westroads Mall, ultimately killing eight people before taking his own life. The community mourned the loss of all the victims, with hundreds attending Dianne's funeral at St. Leo Catholic Church. Her death left a void in the lives of her family and friends, who remembered her kind heart and gentle spirit.
