The father of a 22-year-old man who was shot to death late Saturday said he wants to see justice for his son and urged protesters not to commit violence in his son’s name.
Omaha police are investigating the death of James Scurlock, a 22-year-old protester. An Omaha bar owner allegedly shot him and is in police custody being questioned about the shooting.
He was shot outside an Old Market bar called The Hive near 12th and Harney Streets.
Scurlock’s father, also named James, called on Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine to prosecute his son’s shooter.
“Last night, I lost a son,” he said Sunday afternoon at the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation Visitors Center. “My kids lost a brother. His daughter lost a father. ... We want them to go to court.”
Scurlock also asked Omaha’s protesters for peace. He said he didn’t want people to loot or be violent in his son’s name.
State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, who is representing the family, implored Kleine to listen and help the family find peace.
Downtown Omaha cleaned up Sunday after a second night of protests over police treatment of people of color. The protests were marred by Scurlock’s death and by multiple acts of vandalism.
Authorities would not release the alleged shooter’s name, but The World-Herald confirmed that it was Jake Gardner. Gardner owns the Hive and The Gatsby, two popular bars near the shooting scene.
Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said “the shooter” was still “in police custody” Sunday. Gardner was not jailed, Douglas County officials said. He did not return calls or text messages seeking comment.
Hours before the Saturday night shooting, Gardner wrote on Facebook about protecting his business.
“Just when you think, ‘what else could 2020 throw at me?’ Then you have to pull 48 hours of military style firewatch,” he posted.
Kleine said he hoped to make a determination soon on whether to file charges. Police have asked anyone with information about the shooting to call the homicide unit at 402-444-5656.
Social media was abuzz about the shooting, and more than one video circulated online. People had already set up online accounts to raise money for both the protester’s family and the shooter.
In one video online, a bystander can be heard saying that a man, who appears to be Gardner, has a gun before the bystander shouts, “That’s not worth it!”
The man with a gun is approached by a group of people, including one who appears to be Scurlock.
After a scuffle ensues, at least two shots ring out before the video cuts off.
Gardner is a former Marine, a veteran of deployments to Iraq and Haiti.
His tenure as a club owner has included some controversy. In 2016, the bar installed a unisex bathroom, and he said transgender women should not use the women’s restroom unless they have had their “appendage” removed and their state identification changed. Gardner later called the controversy a learning experience.
Last year, Gardner was called before the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission on another matter and given a warning to cooperate with police.
The Hive was known for displaying memorabilia from 311, the platinum-selling band originally from Omaha. Members of popular rock band, which once performed a concert at The Hive, said they were “sickened,” “confused” and “horrified.”
“My deepest sympathy goes out to the family of James Scurlock,” wrote 311’s Nick Hexum.
— Nick Hexum (@NickHexum) May 31, 2020
Around downtown, officers were still taking damage reports Sunday morning as business owners boarded up broken windows and scrubbed graffiti off their walls, much of it expressing anger at police or solidarity with George Floyd, the man who died May 25 in Minneapolis police custody.
Preston Love Jr., an advocate for North Omaha causes, said Floyd’s death spurred the protests because too many people in Omaha, including some police officers, treat the lives of black people as if they are valued less.
Love said the death of Scurlock, who is African American, is the latest example of someone deciding that property was worth more than a human life. People are wrong to think so, he said.
Still, Love urged vandals to stop.
“We are unfortunately part of the national dialogue on the death of another African-American male,” he said.
Protesters headed downtown Saturday night after police cut off a second night of protests near 72nd and Dodge Streets. A chaotic scene ensued as groups of officers tried to contain damage and protect buildings, including the City-County Building and the Douglas County Courthouse.
Protesters threw rocks or bricks through the windows of businesses large and small. That included Nebraska’s tallest building, First National Tower, and Culprit Cafe and Bakery at 16th and Farnam Streets, one of many businesses already reeling from coronavirus-related restrictions.

Luke Mabie, owner of Culprit Cafe, 1603 Farnam St., talks to people on the street through a broken window on Sunday morning after a night of protests Saturday caused damage in downtown Omaha.
Culprit owner Luke Mabie got the call around midnight that his business had been vandalized, including each of his large windows that look out from the customer seating area into downtown Omaha. He arrived overnight to find five tossed bricks inside.
On Sunday morning, he said he was struggling to find wood to board up his windows, let alone a window contractor. Home improvement stores would open later in the day, so he expected to be busy, he said. His business was still preparing orders for online delivery.
His shop has been delivering coffee instead of hosting customers since Douglas County restricted restaurants and similar shops in March.
“There are tons of people who are hurting,” he said of the protesters. “But violence isn’t a very articulate way of stressing the needs and wants of a community. They don’t want this.”
Stan Nielsen, a downtown resident who lives near the courthouse, woke with the sun after a night of loud bangs from police projectiles and protesters tossing bottles, rocks, fireworks and bricks. The damage was extensive, he said, but not as bad as he expected.
“I was listening to bang grenades going off last night,” he said. “I could smell the tear gas. I thought about the guy who got shot down here. That was ugly. I was expecting the worst, and I thought somebody’s got to start picking this stuff up.”

Pepper-spray debris is left outside the City-County Building, 1819 Farnam St. in downtown Omaha, on Sunday. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
By midmorning, people were driving downtown to see the damage. The Omaha Downtown Improvement District thanked “hundreds who came out this morning to help us clean up our neighborhood.”
Nielsen spent much of the morning walking with a grabber and plastic bag and picking up trash from the courthouse area, where the nearby US Bank and Brandeis Building were damaged, to the Gene Leahy Mall, where graffiti covered parts of the adjacent State Office Building.
The reason: He calls this area home, and he wanted to check on the small-business owners he knows. He said he feels the worst for the bars and restaurants about to open to in-person dining and drinkers on Monday.
“Some of these business owners are my buddies. I know their families. They’re all little guys down here, mom and pops. I understand why everybody’s upset. I’m with them to a point, but not busting windows or writing that on the wall,” he said, pointing to graffiti.
Bryan Charles, a homeless man who spent the night downtown, said he saw a lot of people running around near the W. Dale Clark Library. He called the situation crazy but said he understood why people were upset and why police had to step in.
He deals with police often, and he said the way they react often depends on you.
“I feel a little bit ashamed by all this,” he said.
violence in Lincoln, too
In Nebraska’s capital, protesters and police in riot gear clashed late Saturday and early Sunday near the County-City Building. Tear gas canisters and rubber bullets were deployed against those in the crowd who lobbed objects, including fireworks, at law enforcement officers.
Across the street, protesters broke windows at the Landmark Centre and adjacent office buildings on the Lincoln Mall, even as they were chastised by other protesters.
Some in the crowd were seen entering the buildings, in some cases sparking fires that others in the crowd carrying fire extinguishers worked to douse.
Hours after crowds dispersed, Lincoln firefighters were called to a fire at a multistory insurance building at 601 S. 12th St.
Saturday night’s violence followed less than 24 hours after incidents on Saturday morning centered in the area of 27th and O Streets.
This report includes material from the Lincoln Journal Star.
Photos: Second day of protest leads to damage in Omaha
Protest Sunday

Protesters shout "I can't breathe" Sunday while occupying 13th Street in downtown Omaha.
Protest Sunday

Protesters stand and sit on 13th Street in downtown Omaha on Sunday as the 8 p.m. curfew approaches.
Protest Sunday

Protesters and law enforcement officers face off on 13th Street in downtown Omaha as the 8 p.m. Sunday curfew neared.
Protest Sunday

A protester walks ahead of advancing law enforcement Sunday after the 8 p.m. curfew in downtown Omaha.
Protest Sunday

Law enforcement officers stand on 13th Street Sunday night while trying to disperse a crowd after the 8PM curfew.
Protest Sunday

A portrait of James Scurlock is held during a protest on Sunday in downtown Omaha. Scurlock was shot and killed late Saturday night during a protest in Omaha.
Protest Sunday

A man is arrested on 13th Street in Omaha after the 8 p.m. curfew on Sunday, May 31.
Protest Sunday

A man walks his dog as law enforcement officers work to clear the streets of protesters after an 8 p.m. curfew on Sunday in Omaha.
Protest Sunday

People watch from a rooftop as law enforcement works to clear protesters from downtown Omaha after the 8 p.m. curfew on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Tear gas canisters land near protesters on 13th Street in Omaha on Sunday after the 8 p.m. curfew.
Protest Sunday

Law enforcement officers turn vehicles away from downtown Omaha on Sunday after the 8PM curfew.
Protest Sunday

Law enforcement officers fire ordnances at a vehicle that was fleeing and nearly hit state troopers on Sunday in downtown Omaha after the 8PM curfew.
Protest Sunday

Dayvon Beckwith leads a chant on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Protesters lie in the road on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

The third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

The third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

A fire in a dumpster was quickly put out on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

The third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Inmates at the Douglas County Correctional Center bang on their windows as protesters march by on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

The third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

A protester throws a flash bang back to the police on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

The third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Omaha Police take down a protester on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Police chase after protesters on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

The third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

The third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

The third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

The third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Police chase after protesters on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

People lie in the road in from of law enforcement on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Officers stand on top of the Omaha Police Headquarters on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Protesters lie in the road on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Law enforcement lines up on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Diamond Davis, a friend of James Scurlock, cries in front of a line of Omaha Police on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

A man has his eyes cleaned out after getting hit with tear gas on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

People lie in the road in front of law enforcement on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Omaha Police on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

A man lies in the road in front of law enforcement on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

The third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

The third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Protesters form their own barricades on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Law enforcement can been seen through a barricade formed by protesters on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Protesters form their own barricades on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Elijah Ivy leads chants on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Diamond Davis, a friend of James Scurlock, cries on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday. Scurlock was shot and killed Saturday night.
Protest Sunday

A protester throws an explosive back toward the police on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

The third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

The third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

A man in a wheelchair chants on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Protesters march past the Douglas County Correctional Center on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

A protester raises a fist on 13th Street near Jones Street on the third day of protests in Omaha.
Protest Sunday

Tear gas is fired at protesters who used road closed signs as barricades looking south on 13th Street near Jones Street on the third day or protests on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Someone looks out the window near 14th and Harney Streets on the third night of protests in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Law enforcement talk to two men outside of the Omaha police northeast precinct minutes after curfew on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Law enforcement arrests protestors at 25th and Dodge Streets on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

A car drives by with a woman raising her fist by the Omaha police northeast precinct minutes after a curfew went in affect on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

A car drives by honking with a man giving the middle finger at the Omaha police northeast precinct minutes after curfew on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

People raise their fists at a rally at the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation Visitors Center on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

People holds signs at a rally at the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

Larry Duncan asks people to put their hands and their hearts up during a rally at the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

A large crowd turns out for a rally at the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

ReJaneeche Kellum holds a Pan-African flag during a rally at the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation on Sunday.
Protest Sunday

A man tears up listening to James Scurlock II speak about the death of his son.
Protest Sunday

James Scurlock II talks about the death of his son.
Protest Sunday

James Scurlock II hugs Nicole Myles at the Malcom X Memorial Foundation after talking about the death of his son.
Protests

Courtney Nunes holds a message on Harney Street Sunday near where James Scurlock was shot and killed during a protest late Saturday in downtown Omaha.
Protests

Diamond Davis, center, is comforted as a group speaks about James Scurlock on Sunday in Omaha. Scurlock was shot and killed during a protest late Saturday in downtown Omaha.
Protests

A VIP member card for the Hive bar rests cut in half on Harney Street in downtown Omaha. James Scurlock was shot and killed near the bar during a protest last Saturday.
Protests

Brittany Baird makes a sign for James Scurlock on Sunday in downtown Omaha. Scurlock was shot and killed during a protest late Saturday.
Protests

A group prays Sunday near where James Scurlock was fatally shot on Harney Street late Saturday.
Protests

A group make signs on Harney Street Sunday near where James Scurlock was shot and killed during a protest late Saturday in downtown Omaha.
Protests

Officer Grobe with the Omaha Police Department gets an elbow bump after placing flowers on a vigil for James Scurlock that was behind a barrier on Harney Street. Scurlock was shot and killed during a protest late Saturday in downtown Omaha.
Protests

Laken Beyard writes a chalk message on Harney Street Sunday near where James Scurlock was shot and killed during a protest late Saturday in downtown Omaha.
Protests

An Omaha Police Officer sets near a vigil for James Scurlock on Sunday in Omaha. Scurlock was shot and killed during a protest late Saturday in downtown Omaha.
Protests

Officer Grobe with the Omaha Police Department places some flowers for a visitor on a vigil for James Scurlock that was behind street barricades on Harney Street. Scurlock was shot and killed during a protest late Saturday in Omaha.
Protests

Omaha police officers watch over the scene of a shooting near The Hive bar on Sunday in Omaha.
Protest Damage

Graffiti in downtown Omaha on Sunday. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
Protest Damage

On Sunday, police surround The Hive, where one man was shot and killed Saturday night in the Old Market. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
Protest Damage

On Sunday, police surround The Hive, where one man was shot and killed Saturday night in the Old Market. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
Protest Damage

On Sunday, police surround The Hive, where a man was shot and killed Saturday night in the Old Market. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
Protest Damage

On Sunday, police surround The Hive, where one man was shot and killed Saturday night in the Old Market. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
Protest Damage

Broken windows and a street barricade at the Brandeis building in downtown Omaha on Sunday. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
Protest Damage

Pepper-spray debris is left outside the City-County Building, 1819 Farnam St. in downtown Omaha, on Sunday. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
Protest Damage

Windows are broken at RDG Planning & Design in downtown Omaha on Sunday. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
Protest Damage

RDG Planning & Design, 1302 Howard St. in downtown Omaha, was damaged during protests Saturday night when rocks were thrown through the architecture firm's windows.
Protests

A sign leftover from the previous night's protests near Crossroads Mall at 72nd and Dodge Streets reads, "Why Officer?"
Protest Damage

On Sunday, a man grabs a broom to clean broken glass at the Orpheum Theater from protests the night before.
Protest Damage

Luke Mabie, owner of Culprit Cafe, 1603 Farnam St., talks to people on the street through a broken window on Sunday morning after a night of protests Saturday caused damage in downtown Omaha.
Protest Damage

Graffiti left on the corner of 17th and Dodge Streets after a night of protests.
Protest Damage

On Sunday, people clean graffiti left by protesters on The Omaha Lounge, 1505 Farnam St., from the night before.
Protest Damage

Graffiti in downtown Omaha on Sunday. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
Protest Damage

Broken windows at the Brandeis building in downtown Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Damage

Windows were broken at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Omaha during protests Saturday.
Protest Damage

Milk was spilled in the road in the Old Market in Omaha during protests over the weekend.
Protest Damage

Omaha's Central Police Headquarters in downtown Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Damage

Graffiti and broken windows in downtown Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Damage

A woman picks up trash left behind in downtown Omaha on Sunday. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
Protest Damage

Broken windows in the Old Market in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Damage

Pepper-spray debris is left outside the City-County Building, 1819 Farnam St. in downtown Omaha, on Sunday. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
Protest Damage

Graffiti at the Spaghetti Works in the Old Market in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Damage

Graffiti in downtown Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Damage

A Black Lives Matter sign in the window of The Tavern in the Old Market in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Damage

Windows are broken at RDG Planning & Design in downtown Omaha. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
Protest Damage

A flower is left on top of a dumpster in the Old Market in Omaha.
Protest Damage

Police surround The Hive, the scene where one man was shot and killed on Saturday night in the Old Market.
Protest Damage

Broken windows at the Brandeis Building in downtown Omaha.
Protest Damage

A glass door is closed up at Pepperjax Grill in the Old Market in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Damage

A street barricade outside a building in the Old Market in Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Damage

Windows are broken at RDG Planning & Design in downtown Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Damage

Windows are broken at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Damage

Broken windows at Takechi's Jewelers in downtown Omaha on Sunday.
Protest Damage

On Sunday morning, police surround The Hive, where a man was shot and killed on Saturday night in the Old Market in Omaha.
Protest Damage

Graffiti in downtown Omaha on Sunday. Police and protesters clashed Saturday for a second night in Omaha.
Protests

The doors to Target at 72nd and Dodge Streets remain boarded up after a second night of protests Saturday in Omaha.
Protests

Protests Saturday night moved from 72nd and Dodge Streets to downtown Omaha, near 14th and Harney Streets.
Protests

Omahans protest the killing of George Floyd at 72nd and Dodge Streets at about 5 p.m. Saturday. No one was in the street, though barricades were on medians and a police helicopter was hovering overhead.
aaron.sanderford@owh.com, 402-444-1135