26th October, 2021
Two persons were killed and five others, including a police officer, were injured on Monday in a shooting at a shopping centre in Boise, Idaho.
The shooting incident ended with the lone suspect, who was critically injured taken into custody, police authorities said.
“Two people have been confirmed deceased as a result of their injuries. Five additional people were transported with injuries, including the suspect and a responding officer”, Boise Police Department said in a statement early Tuesday.
“The suspect is in critical condition. The officer has been treated and released.
“No additional information will be released by the Boise Police Department about the other victims treated at the hospital”, it said.
Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee told reporters at a briefing that police responded to reports of a shooting at the Boise Towne Square mall shortly before 2 p.m. local time.
Officers arriving on the scene “encountered an individual matching the suspect’s description,” leading to an exchange of gunfire with the assailant that left one officer injured and the shooter arrested, the chief said.
“We believe there was only a single shooter involved, and there is no ongoing threat to the community at large,” Lee said.
No information about the suspect was given, nor were any of the victims identified. The chief also declined to elaborate on circumstances of the shooting, adding, “we really cannot at this time speak to any motivation behind it.”
One shopper, Joey Bernal, told the Idaho Statesman newspaper he was in the shopping mall’s food court when he heard five to eight shots ring out, and that security personnel ushered him from the mall entrance before police arrived.
Boise Towne Square is located on the western end Idaho’s capital and its most populous metropolitan area, a city of some 250,000 residents.