Lincoln Police say 19-year-old Nyandeng Chol of Lincoln was the woman who was shot to death Tuesday night near 46th and Madison Avenue. LPD arrested a 37-year-ol Tyler Benzel for 1st degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony.
LPD Captain Ben Miller, who oversees the department’s Criminal Investigations Unit, says the chain of events began around 7:20 p.m., when officers responded to a disturbance involving juveniles near North 47th Street and Cleveland Avenue.
“Officers contacted some of those involved, while others ran from the area, including the victim,” Miller says. About 15 minutes later, while officers were still interviewing people at the original scene, they heard a gunshot about a block away near 46th Street and Madison Avenue.
Miller says the Chol and several other people had become involved in another confrontation. Investigators believe Benzel’s wife became involved in a verbal dispute with the group that turned physical. Miller says the group then moved away from Benzel’s residence before the shooting.
According to investigators, Benzel told the group to leave and made verbal threats before raising a gun and firing one shot. Officers arrived within moments and found the woman suffering from a single gunshot wound.
“They immediately began life-saving measures before she was taken to a hospital, where she later died from her injuries,” Miller says. A 9-millimeter handgun was recovered at the scene, but Miller says additional forensic testing is needed before police can determine whether it was the weapon used in the shooting. Investigators believe Benzel and his wife did not know the group involved in the confrontation.