Man Accused Shooting Caseworker Thought He Was "Under Attack"

Hall of Justice and Law Enforcement Center in Lincoln. (Courtesy of Alpha Media Lincoln)

Brent Lopez (Courtesy of Lancaster County Corrections)

LINCOLN–(KFOR Sept. 29)–The latest in a case where a 38-year-old Lincoln man shot and wounded a caseworker from the Department of Health and Human Services this week.

During a court appearance Thursday in Lancaster County Court, Brent Lopez claimed he thought the two DHHS workers were police officers and that he was “under attack” when he fired shots at the caseworkers, injuring one of them. The two caseworkers were at Lopez’ home near 7th and “Y” Street on Tuesday afternoon to do a child welfare check. They arrived in a marked ‘State of Nebraska’ work vehicle and were still in the street when Lopez opened the front door and fired 2-3 shots from a handgun.

A 28-year-old DHHS employee went to the hospital for treatment to a gunshot wound to his leg and has since been released. The other DHHS employee wasn’t injured.

Lopez, a former employee at the Air Park Rec Center, was fired from his job on Sunday when a disturbance broke out and he allegedly hit two teenage girls. He was cited for two counts of misdemeanor assault.