A man and a woman were left with visible injuries to their heads and faces after they were attacked by as many as 40 juveniles on and off an Omaha Metro bus near 33rd and Ames, according to a police report. Omaha police are now asking the public for help identifying everyone involved, saying shared video of the incident has already moved the investigation forward.
According to a police report cited by 3 News Now, multiple witnesses said a man and woman were assaulted by 20 to 40 juveniles both on and off the bus near 33rd and Ames. The KETV reported the attack happened on Thursday. Police say both victims had visible head and facial injuries, and detectives are working to piece together exactly what happened and who took part.
Beyond the physical injuries, both victims told officers they lost personal property during the chaos. The man told police his jacket, phone, debit card and cash were stolen, while the woman told officers her glasses were broken and about $60 was taken, per the same wowt.com account. The scale of the group involved, and the fact that the attack reportedly continued even after the bus stopped, has unsettled residents and transit riders alike.
Police Lean on Shared Video to Track Down Suspects
Omaha police said shared footage has already proven instrumental to their work. “Our detectives are actively investigating this incident to identify everyone involved, and the shared footage has been instrumental in aiding this effort. We are working closely with Metro Transit and our School Resource Officers,” the department said, according to the report. The reporting agency behind that statement did not provide a direct police social-media post, so those details come through news coverage of the department's remarks.
That cooperation extends beyond the police department itself. An Omaha Public Schools spokesperson said the district is cooperating with Metro Transit and Omaha police to help identify those involved, underscoring how many agencies have been pulled into the search for answers. Omaha police asked anyone with information about the identities of the juveniles involved to contact the department.
Metro Calls the Attack Unacceptable
Metro Transit did not mince words in response to the assault, calling it a serious breach of the safety the agency says it tries to provide. “This is unacceptable. Everyone who steps onto a Metro bus, waits at a bus stop, or uses a transit center deserves to feel safe,” the agency said, as reported by the outlet covering the incident.
The attack near 33rd and Ames comes amid a string of unsettling incidents involving Omaha-area buses. In a separate case, three teens were arrested after police say they robbed two people at gunpoint on an ORBT bus along its route in Central Omaha, with the victims telling officers the suspects took a hat and about $150 in cash, per the earlier 3newsnow.com report. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine identified those suspects as two 15-year-olds and a 17-year-old, with the 17-year-old being charged as an adult and due back in court the following month.
It remains unknown whether anyone has been identified, arrested, or charged in connection with the 33rd and Ames bus attack. For now, investigators are relying on the public and the footage already gathered to move the case forward, while Metro and school officials continue working alongside police to try to put names to the faces involved.
