Law Enforcement and Public Safety

DHS identified the Omaha gas‑station shooter as Salvadoran national Juan Ayala‑Ramos (previously reported as Juan Melgar‑Ayala), saying he entered the United States as an unaccompanied minor in June 2007 and that an immigration judge administratively closed his removal case that year. Officials said Ayala‑Ramos had a prior criminal history — including a 2019 assault‑by‑strangulation charge and 2021 arrests for burglary and possession of a stolen firearm — and that he allegedly wounded a 61‑year‑old civilian and injured four Omaha officers before being fatally shot by police; investigators are probing how he obtained the handgun and family members reported mental‑health issues.