Jurors find Lincoln guilty of shooting a DHHS caseworker

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A Lincoln man was convicted Friday of shooting a Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services caseworker.

A jury found Brent Lopez, 38, guilty of first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault, two counts of using a weapon to commit a felony and two counts of third-degree assault .

The jurors deliberated for approximately two hours.

SEE ALSO: Lincoln man accused of hitting teens and shooting DHHS worker faces more charges

On Sept. 26, two DHHS child welfare workers went to Lopez’s home in the North Bottoms neighborhood.

As they approached the home near Seventh and Y streets, Lopez opened the front door and fired at them, court documents say.

One of the case workers was shot in the thigh and buttocks, police said.

His injuries were not life-threatening.

SEE ALSO: Lincoln police say DHHS workers knew the man might be armed before shooting

Lopez told caseworkers he shot them because “I thought you were the cops,” an arrest affidavit says.

Officers visited Lopez’s home earlier that day based on a welfare check requested by the mother of his children.

Lopez posted a video of the interaction on YouTube. In it, he said he felt threatened by an “angry mob”.

Two days before the shooting, Lopez was fired from the Air Park Rec Center after hitting two teenagers.

SEE ALSO: A Lincoln Recreation Center employee cited in altercation with two teenagers, police said

Lopez is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17.