A terrifying morning inside a Walmart in Omaha, Nebraska, erupted into chaos after police say 31-year-old Noemi Guzman allegedly kidnapped a 3-year-old boy at knifepoint before slashing him in the parking lot, forcing officers to open fire.

According to Omaha police, Guzman reportedly shoplifted a large kitchen knife from inside the store, then approached the child and his guardian while the boy sat in a shopping cart. Investigators say she threatened the guardian and forced them through the store before leading them outside into the parking lot.

When officers arrived, they found Guzman standing beside the shopping cart, still armed with the knife. Police repeatedly ordered her to drop the weapon, but she refused.

In the horrifying moments that followed, authorities say Guzman slashed the 3-year-old boy across the face and hand, prompting two responding officers to fire their weapons. Guzman was pronounced dead at the scene.

The child was rushed to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and police later said the officers’ rapid response likely prevented an even worse tragedy.

Investigators believe the suspect and the family did not know each other, and the motive behind the random attack remains under investigation. Omaha Police, Nebraska State Patrol, and other agencies are now reviewing the officer-involved shooting.