911 calls poured in during mall massacre

OMAHA, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Frantic shoppers made nearly 50 calls in six minutes to Omaha's 911 center this week as a teenage gunman peppered the crowd at a shopping mall with gunshots.

Mark Conrey, the director of the Douglas County 911 center, described the calls as "extremely disturbing. He said many other calls may not have gotten through as area cell towers became overloaded.

Eight people plus the gunman were left dead in the shooting spree that broke out at the Von Maur department store in the crowded Westroad Mall Wednesday afternoon. Most of the calls came in a six-minute span from Christmas shoppers and Von Maur employees.

The Omaha World-Herald said Friday the third call gave police their first idea as to who was doing the shooting. The woman frantically described the gunman as a "young boy with glasses." He was later identified as 19-year-old Robert Hawkins.

Hawkins shot himself to death at the end of his spree.