I Want to be Famous

A gunman has opened fire with a rifle in a shopping centre in the US state of Nebraska, killing eight people before fatally shooting himself, police say.

A further five people were wounded - two critically - in the shooting at the Westroads Mall in Omaha.

Police have identified the gunman as Robert Hawkins, 19, from Bellevue, close to Omaha. They said a suicide note had been recovered.

The incident is the latest in a series of mass shootings in the US, which have reignited the debate in the US about gun ownership. The Supreme Court will consider Americans' right to bear arms early next year for the first time in nearly 70 years.

The gunman, Robert Hawkins, is said to have suffered from depression in the past, and recently lost his job at McDonald's and broke up with his girlfriend.

He was living with a friend's family in Bellevue, an Omaha suburb. His friend's mother, Debora Maruca Kovac, told the Associated Press news agency that when he first came to live with them, "he was introverted, a troubled young man who was like a lost pound puppy that nobody wanted".

She said he phoned her about 13:00 on Wednesday, telling her that he had left a note for her in his bedroom. She tried to get him to explain. "He said, 'It's too late'," and then hung up, she told CNN. In the note, she said, Hawkins had written that "he was sorry for everything, that he didn't want to be a burden to anybody, he loved his family, he loved all of his friends".

She said the note went on to say he wanted to be famous.

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There is no point in pointing fingers and laying blame, the tragedy has happened and I along with so many others can only offer sympathies and condolences to the families involved.

But once again, it does mean that actions need supporting. Next year, when the Supreme Court sits in review, don't sit on your laurels. Stand up and be counted.

But even now there are things you can do to hopefully prevent tragedies such as this happening in the future. You can support the work of people who are already out there trying to make a difference. People such as Little Ricky Productions