William Reffett Death | Curt Strom Death – Two males have been identified as the casualties of a double homicide that occurred in the bowling alley of Bloomfield, a small town in northeast Nebraska. Tuesday morning, Curt Strom, 77, and William Reffett, 49, were fatally shot inside the restaurant and bowling facility Curt’s Lanes and Dining, located at 112 W. Grant St. Capt. Dain Hicks of the Nebraska State Patrol stated at a press conference on Wednesday.
Hicks, citing information from an initial inquiry, reports that the incident transpired when Alias Reed, a 25-year-old resident of Bloomfield, approached the bowling alley armed with a shotgun and instigated a dispute with Reffett. Tuesday morning around 9:30 a.m., the incident occurred. According to Hicks, Reed shot Reffett and then Strom, who was not involved in the dispute, shortly thereafter. The proprietor of the bowling alley was Strom.
Hicks stated that the context and substance of the argument are still being investigated.Hicks stated that the shotgun believed to have been used in the shooting was subsequently discovered by authorities in a ditch along a county road several miles west of Bloomfield.Reed and a woman, 27-year-old Kaylyne Sweazy, according to investigators, traveled to that location to dispose of the weapon, according to Hicks. Shortly after the fatal gunshot, Reed and Sweazy were discovered at their residence, according to a State Patrol press release.
Reed is charged with two counts of first-degree homicide and one count of robbery, according to Hicks, in connection with the discovery of stolen funds from the bowling alley by investigators. Sweazy is charged with one count of tampering with evidence, Said Hicks. A Knox County Attorney’s Office representative stated that charges are pending. Approximately 1,100 people reside in Bloomfield, where the fatal shooting has wreaked havoc, according to Knox County Sheriff Don Henery during the press conference. Schools were reportedly placed on lockdown by law enforcement, and several businesses in Bloomfield reportedly ceased operations in the aftermath of Tuesday’s gunfire.
Reed and Sweazy have been the subject of child neglect allegations in the past, and more recently, according to court documents. The Knox County Attorney’s Office filed a petition on February 10 to have Reed and Sweazy remove their neonate from their custody on the grounds of “lack of support.” The petition filed with the Knox County District Court stated that the child resided in a Bloomfield residence located at 210 W. Grant St., which was devoid of hot water, gas, and heat.
The petition stated that “one bedroom of the home is heated with a space heater, which poses a potential fire hazard due to the condition of the bedroom.” Before heating water, it is boiled, according to the petition. Sweazy purportedly disclosed to authorities that she intended to apply formula to the infant.
Court proceedings regarding the infant’s placement in the custody of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services are scheduled for March 21. The petition filed by the Knox County Attorney’s Office in 2022 sought the removal of an additional child from Reed and Sweazy’s custody. Subsequently, the parents ceased exercising their parental rights over the child, who is now 5 years old.
The Bloomfield Police Department requested the State Patrol’s assistance in conducting an investigation into the incident. Bloomfield, South Dakota is situated 30 miles southwest of Yankton and 167 miles northwest of Omaha. Hicks stated that an investigation is ongoing into the incident.