Man accused of killing his father in Ashland shooting, community reacts

ASHLAND, Neb. —

A Saunders County community is rocked by a deadly shooting.

Thirty-one-year-old Robert Haswell Jr. is accused of killing his father in Ashland.

READ MORE: Saunders County Sheriff’s Office arrests man accused of shooting, killing his father

At this point, it’s unclear what led up to the shooting, but what we do know is the community of Ashland is in shock.

“We’re all trying to figure out what happened,” neighbor Yong Hansen said. “Because it was a big shock when we all heard about what happened.”

The Saunders County Sheriff’s Office said around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, law enforcement got a 911 call about a shooting near 17th and Dawes streets.

Hansen said the street was flooded with officers when she got home

“We’re basically two doors down,” Hansen said. “We saw the police and ambulances driving by, and next thing we know, when we found out.”

The sheriff’s office said law enforcement negotiated with the suspect, Haswell Jr., and he surrendered and was taken into custody.

Investigators said his father, Robert Haswell Sr., was shot at least once and died at the scene.

“It’s kind of heartbreaking,” neighbor Virginia Vandeman said. “So I just hope peace for the family.”

Vandeman has lived in the neighborhood since the mid-80s and knew the family.

“It hits close to home, you know, being so close to your neighbor and not knowing what’s going on,” she said. “If they needed help, it’s sad they didn’t get it.”

Hansen said the father was well-known throughout the community.

“Everybody’s like, ‘Well, who can paint this or who can, who can repair this?’ And it was always Drywall Bob,” Hansen said, adding shootings like this rarely happen in this town.

“This is only this second incident that I’ve ever known of since I’ve lived here,” she said. “That’s been way over 30 years.”

Haswell Jr. is being held without bond in the Saunders County jail on charges of first-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony.

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