Bellevue Sonic Shooting Kills 2 Employees, Injures 2 More
Bellevue – Authorities arrested a 23-year-old man in an attack at a Bellevue fast food restaurant in which two employees were shot and killed, two were wounded and officers responding to a report of a possible bomb inside a moving truck in the parking lot arrived to find the vehicle on fire.
Roberto Carlos Silva Jr., of Omaha, faces two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, arson and four gun charges in last Saturday’s attack at a Sonic Drive-in restaurant.
Bellevue Police Lt. Andy Jashinske said officers received a call at 9:23 p.m. Saturday about a possible bomb in a U-Haul truck parked outside of the restaurant in the Wolf Creek shooping center near the Bellevue Walmart. A minute later, the call was updated to a possible shooting, he said.
Officers who arrived found the moving truck burning and four restaurant employees who had been shot. Two were sent to the Nebraska Medical Center for treatment, and two were declared dead at the scene, Jashinske said.
Silva was unarmed when he was arrested nearby shortly after the shooting, but police found four guns at the restaurant.
Police identified those killed as Nathan Pastrana, 22, and Ryan Helbert, 28. The two employees who were taken to the hospital are Zoey Reece Atalig Lujan, 18, and Kenneth Gerner, 25. A fifth Sonic employee suffered a minor injury but declined hospital treatment.
Silva was arrested outside the same restaurant last Wednesday for allegedly using someone else’s Sonic app to purchase $57 worth of corn dogs and hamburgers. He was released from jail Nov. 19 after posting $150 bond. Officials seized three firearms from Silva at the time of that arrest, and police still held those weapons at the time of the attack, Jashinske said.
Investigators were still trying to determine Silva’s motive, Chief Deputy Sarpy County Attorney Bonnie Moore said Monday.
Sonic Drive-in, which is based in Oklahoma City, issued a statement saying the company was “stunned and saddened,” adding that “our heartfelt condolences go out to the franchise owner and the families and friends impacted by this horrific tragedy.”
Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike said Sunday at a news conference the entire community was praying after the attack, and he praised the quick police response – both those in Bellevue and nearby jurisdictions.
“We’re thankful that our community is there for our victims and those families,” Hike said. “We want to offer our heartfelt condolences to those families.”
Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact the Bellevue Police Department at 402-293-3100 or Sarpy County Crimestoppers at 402-592-STOP.
The Daily Record contributed to this report.
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