An Omaha man who conducted an active shooter drill at Catholic Charities in 2022 — terrorizing employees who were not informed the shooter was an actor — was found guilty this week of multiple felonies in connection with the drill.Â
John Channels, 29, accepted plea deals this week in two Douglas County cases. First, on Tuesday, he pleaded no contest to four counts of terroristic threats in connection with the fake drill, which garnered national attention after it was first reported by The World-Herald. Prosecutors dismissed one count of use of a firearm to commit a felony.Â
On Wednesday, Channels pleaded no contest in an unrelated case to possession of child pornography, first-degree sexual assault and first-degree sexual assault of a child. Prosecutors dismissed 22 additional counts of possession of child pornography and sexual assault in exchange for his plea.
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Between the two cases, Channels will be sentenced in October to at least 21 years and up to life in prison.Â
Directors of Catholic Charities hired Channels, who owned a private security company and represented himself as a "civilian police officer" at Offutt Air Force Base, to conduct the active shooter drill in May 2022.
When he showed up to the organization's office, at 9223 Bedford Ave., he was dressed in a dark hoodie and mask, and he banged on the windows before firing blanks from a prop gun into the air and at the office. As employees fled through the parking lot, they passed by a decoy body covered in fake blood.Â
After the employees found out the drill was fake, according to prosecutors, Channels offered to sell them firearms and training classes. Police said they were not informed of the drill ahead of time.
Though Channels attempted in early court appearances to pass the blame to the Catholic Charities officials who greenlit the drill — and planned to pay him $2,500 for his services — prosecutors and executives said Channels wanted the drill to be as "lifelike" as possible.Â
The organization's executive director, Denise Bartels, issued a statement to The World-Herald at the time saying Channels misrepresented himself and his qualifications.Â
"We deeply regret following his recommendations and selecting him for the training," Bartels said.Â
One Catholic Charities employee, Sandra Lopez, tried to sue the organization for physical injuries she sustained while fleeing from the fake shooting, as well as for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
She argued that, because the organization acted with a specific intent to cause emotional distress to employees, she should be able to sue in civil court for damages instead of relying on Workers' Compensation Courts.Â
A Douglas County judge , and she appealed to the Nebraska Supreme Court. The , finding that Workers' Compensation Court is the sole remedy for mental and physical injuries sustained at work — even if the employer acted with a specific intent to cause harm.Â
Unbeknownst to Catholic Charities, Channels was also being investigated by the Ralston and Bellevue Police Departments at the time of the fake drill after a 16-year-old girl reported in February 2022 that she had repeatedly been sexually assaulted by Channels when they were in a "quasi-dating" relationship, according to court documents.Â
The "relationship" lasted for years and began when the girl was 12 and Channels was 22, according to court documents. Channels was the girl's taekwondo instructor.Â
Channels will be sentenced in both cases on Oct. 25.Â