What did Will McDonald do? Omaha dad charged with criminal homicide over shooting death of 10-year-old son

47-year-old Will McDonald has been arrested in connection to his son's murder. The incident happened on Thursday, November 23, 2023, when McDonald allegedly shot his 10-year-old son to death. Authorities have described the incident to be extremely tragic. It has further been revealed that cops found a handgun in the house.

Trigger warning: The article contains references to gun violence and the death of a minor. Readers' discretion is advised.

The victim, Kendrick McDonald, was rushed to the hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries there. The suspect, the child's father, faces several charges, including criminal homicide, in connection to Kendrick's death.

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Will McDonald, a Nebraska man, has been suspected of fatally shooting his 10-year-old son, Kendrick McDonald, to death on Thursday

Police responded to a shooting at a house on 1112 N. 31st Ave., on Thursday, November 23, at about 11:30 pm local time. Upon arrival, they discovered the body of a young child, later recognized as 10-year-old Kendrick McDonald. Will McDonald has further been charged with criminal homicide, use of a weapon, and prohibited possession of a firearm.

Omaha Police Captain Jeremy Christensen stated it is quite early to conclude at this point of the investigation. Christensen also claimed that a car alarm went off shortly before the shooting took place. He added,

"We do know that there was allegedly a car alarm going off, and for whatever reason, the suspect/father went outside to maybe investigate that. We’re not 100% on that, but we are receiving information that a car alarm was going off."

He also said,

"As to exactly what transpired and the why of it, we’re still trying to piece that together through our investigation."

It has been confirmed that there were other kids in the house when the shooting happened. However, it is unclear if Kendrick's mother was present then. Will McDonald is booked into Douglas County Jail without bail.

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It is not the first time the suspect has faced criminal charges

Omaha Police Captain confirmed recovering a handgun from the site. However, it didn't reveal other details, like how many times the child got shot. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine stated that formal charges against Will McDonald should probably be filed by Sunday, November 26, 2023. Kleine added,

"It’s obviously very tragic. But we have to determine if he (Will McDonald) was justified in doing what he did. … At this point in time, it doesn’t appear that he was justified in firing."

Upon investigation into the suspect's background, authorities found that he has faced several charges in the past. In the late 1990s, Will was found guilty of felony theft and felony robbery. Then, in 2005, he was accused and charged with illegally possessing a gun, along with making terroristic threats using a firearm to commit a felony. It is unclear if those charges were dismissed.

Jeremy Christensen said,

"We’re still trying to figure out the ins and outs of that through the investigation... Tragic, in one word it's extremely tragic"

Authoritieshave stated that the case is currently an ongoing investigation.