Who is Roberto Carlos Silva? Nebraska Sonic Drive-In shooting suspect grins in police mugshot after killing 2
BELLEVUE, NEBRASKA: Two people were shot dead and two others injured during a shooting in the parking lot of a Bellevue fast-food restaurant on Saturday, November 21, night. Bellevue police were called to the Sonic Drive-In at 1307 Cornhusker Road around 9.23 pm.
Officers arriving at the scene were first told that a bomb could be inside a moving truck parked in the parking lot. The incident was later declared to be a shooting, according to the Bellevue Police Department. The suspect, identified as Robert Carlos Silva, 23, by Omaha World was taken into custody on suspicion of first-degree murder and first-degree arson following the preliminary investigation. He flashed a big smile after being taken into custody. A mugshot posted on the Sarpy County Jail website shows Silva grinning.
All four people that were shot were Sonic employees, the police said. The injured, Zoey Reece Atalig Lujan and Kenneth Gerner, were taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, and details about their condition hasn't been released yet. Nathan Pastrana, 22, and Ryan Helbert, 28, were declared dead at the scene. A fifth Sonic employee suffered minor injuries but declined treatment at a hospital.
This is not the first time that Silva was taken into custody. He was arrested at Sonic on Wednesday, November 18, night on suspicion of identity theft after someone called the police and reported that a person had charged $57 on his Sonic app to pay for hamburgers and corn dogs. Employees of the restaurant reviewed transactions, which led police to Silva. The police said Silva had receipts with him that matched the sales made through the app. Silva was released from jail on Thursday after posting 10% of $1,500 bail, according to Journal Star.
The police had also found three firearms inside his vehicle while making an arrest on Wednesday and according to them, Silva possessed a concealed carry permit. The vehicle was impounded and all three weapons were logged as evidence after taking him to jail after the shooting, according to the police, reported KETV. The authorities have yet to identify a suspect in this incident. It's currently unclear if the shooting was part of a revenge plot against the restaurant. Police says there’s currently no indication of other suspects in the incident, and noted their investigation is at an “early stage”.
Sonic in their statement after the horrific incident stated, "We are stunned and saddened by what occurred at the Bellevue, NE, SONIC Saturday night. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the franchise owner and the families and friends impacted by this horrific tragedy. The franchisee is working with law enforcement as they investigate the matter. We defer any further comment to the Bellevue Police Department in its ongoing investigation."
Bellevue police lieutenant Andy Jashinske stated, "We would like to offer our condolences to the family of those that are deceased, as well as our personal thoughts to those who are still in the hospital, they're still recuperating. They're our thoughts and minds that this evening."