Will McDonald: Nebraska father arrested on Thanksgiving for fatally shooting son amidst suspicions of car theft
Rachel Ellis
Updated on March 27, 2026
OHAMA, NEBRASKA: A father in Nebraska was taken into custody after shooting and killing his son. The incident occurred when the father became suspicious that his son was attempting to steal his car upon the activation of the vehicle's alarm.
Will McDonald, a 47-year-old resident of Omaha, was apprehended by officers from the Omaha Police Department on the evening of Thanksgiving Day when they arrived at the crime scene around 11:30 pm.
As reported by ABC affiliate KETV, law enforcement discovered Kendrick, the 10-year-old son of McDonald, with a gunshot injury.
They promptly transported him to a nearby hospital, where Omaha Police Captain Jeremy Christensen subsequently affirmed in a statement that the boy succumbed to the injuries he had sustained.
What did the authorities say?
Captain Christensen summarized the situation with a single word, stating, "Tragic; in one word, it's extremely tragic."
McDonald is now confronting charges related to criminal homicide, weapon use, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
"He was taken into custody and booked for criminal homicide, use of a weapon to commit a felony, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person," Christensen elaborated.
McDonald suspected a thief was attempting to steal his car
Detectives highlighted that the investigation is still ongoing to determine the precise events that led to a family losing two members on the same evening.
Christensen clarified that, at the present moment, law enforcement officers believe that McDonald may have suspected a thief was trying to steal his car, given that the alarm was activated when officers initially reached the scene.
it was Kendrick who accidentally prompted his father to fire at him. Captain Christensen stated, "We don't really know exactly what transpired at this point. It appears that at the scene there was a car alarm going off."
The captain expressed his sorrow over a father being arrested for allegedly killing his son on a holiday, describing it as "heartbreaking." He conveyed, "Anytime anyone is killed, this is extremely tragic. But this is heartbreaking," in an interview with KETV.
Officials from the Omaha Police Department are reportedly in the process of interviewing numerous witnesses who were present inside the residence at the time of the shooting.
Another father-son incident happened in NYC this holiday season
On November 17, tragedy unfolded in Manhattan's East Village in New York City when Omatt Cruz, 19, was fatally run over by a forklift. The vehicle involved was operated by his father, Victor, during a construction operation.
Reportedly, Cruz was serving as a guide for his father as he reversed the forklift on the street when he became trapped under one of the tires.
The New York City Police Department confirmed to the New York Post that when the forklift entered the intersection, it struck and knocked down the 19-year-old, ultimately driving over him.
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