Alon ReedShortenedToSurnameOnlyOrFullSurnameIsReed

Alon Reed, a 19-year-old Black/African American male and recent graduate of Burke High School, was killed in a violent home invasion on the morning of August 30, 2022. The attack happened around 9:30 a.m. at his family’s residence near 52nd Street and Curtis Avenue in Omaha, Nebraska. An armed intruder forced his way into the home and held Alon’s mother, Alicia Sexton, at gunpoint, demanding to know where her son was. When Alon was heard coming up the stairs, the intruder opened fire. Ms. Sexton fled the house as she heard six to eight gunshots. First responders found Alon with multiple gunshot wounds, primarily to his head and face, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation led police to two juvenile suspects, a 13-year-old boy and a 15-year-old named Carmello Wells. Authorities alleged the murder was an act of retaliation. Using surveillance footage, investigators pieced together the suspects’ movements, which included driving a stolen car to Omaha North High School, exchanging a firearm, and then proceeding to the Reed home. Prosecutors identified the 13-year-old as the shooter and Wells as the getaway driver. The 15-year-old was arrested in Dallas, Texas, in October 2022.

The legal proceedings were complicated by the ages of the accused. Under Nebraska law, the 13-year-old shooter could not be tried as an adult, and his case was handled in the juvenile justice system. He later admitted to the charges in juvenile court and was committed to the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Lincoln for treatment and rehabilitation. Carmello Wells was initially charged as an adult with first-degree murder, use of a weapon to commit a felony, and criminal conspiracy. However, a judge later transferred his case to juvenile court as well, a decision that caused great distress to Alon Reed’s family.

After seven months at the treatment center, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services recommended the shooter, now 15, be released to his parents. Following public outrage from community leaders and the Douglas County Attorney, the state withdrew the request and ordered more treatment for the teen. Two months later, he escaped the youth facility by breaking a window. During his escape, he stole a car and assaulted a 65-year-old woman to steal her phone. He was captured by the Nebraska State Patrol later that night. As of August 2024, he was facing new adult charges stemming from the escape.