School community mourns loss of special education teacher, killed by husband, police say

CHALCO, Neb. (WOW/Gray News) – A Nebraska school community is mourning the loss of a special education teacher who was killed after a domestic violence incident ended in a shootout, police said.

Sarpy County Sheriff Jeff Davis said deputies found 45-year-old Rebecca Geiger dead in her Chalco Hills home after shots were exchanged near South 143rd Street and Meadows Parkway around 3 a.m. Monday.

Officials said Geiger’s 19-year-old daughter called 911 and told operators that her father, 44-year-old Rory Geiger, had shot her mother before pointing the gun at her.

Rory Geiger then reportedly turned his attention to deputies, although Davis said it was a person inside the house who fired the first shot.

“There was gunfire, initiated by an individual, coming from the house and through the glass window. One of our officers returned fire,” the sheriff said in an update Monday.

Officers then entered the home, where they found Rory Geiger dead from a gunshot wound.

Life-saving measures were administered but proved unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

Authorities said they had been to the house about a month earlier for an incident and were not allowed to return.

“There was an alert at the house because of a response they received at the time,” Davis said. “It was domestic, and we were following up for mental health issues. The next day that person said to us: ‘Be careful, you shouldn’t come back here.’

Five officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, officials said. None of the deputies were injured.

Investigators are looking at body cameras worn by the officers, as well as cameras inside and outside the home. They said they are not yet sure whether Rory Geiger’s fatal wounds were self-inflicted or the result of a shot fired by a Sarpy County sheriff’s deputy.

“It appears at this point that regardless of whether he committed suicide or whether he was shot by one of our people, it is certain that by their response and entry they probably saved the lives of both girls,” Davis said.

Officers found several weapons in the home during their search.

‘A VERY FRIENDLY TEACHER’

Rebecca Geiger was a special education teacher who had just started her 10th year at Westside High School.

“She was just a really nice teacher,” Elizabeth Power said Community Schools Westside said. “She was so good at helping her students feel seen and loved, like they belonged here at Westside High School, which is so important for every student, especially her students.”

The district has established a crisis response team. Advisors are present all week.