BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The search is on for answers in the wake of a mass shooting at the Boise Towne Square Mall.
The suspect in this shooting, 27-year-old Jacob Bergquist, is dead. He died from his injuries while in hospital on Tuesday morning. Now police are asking for the public’s patience while it continues its investigation.
Chaos unfolded at the Boise Towne Square on Monday as terrified onlookers watched first responders pull injured people from the building. The shooting suspect lived just a few minutes away in a trailer off of Fry Street.
Some of Bergquist’s neighbors have lived there for nearly 25 years. They say that they’ve never seen anything like this.
“It does concern me,” Jo Fryberger, a resident of Fry Street. “You just can’t let that fear rule your life.”
As the search warrant on Bergquist’s trailer was being served, police gave news of his death.
“The coroner announced recently that our shooter, Jacob Bergquist, in this incident has passed away from his injuries,” Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee said.
This won’t be the end of the story. Now is the time for mourning the victims of the tragedy, according to Boise Mayor Lauren McLean.
“We’ll have information soon on a vigil that people can participate in,” McLean said. “But again I’m gonna ask everyone to honor the privacy of these families.”
That kind of story isn’t typical to see in Boise. Some are choosing to focus on all the good this community has to offer.
”Day after day you hear wonderful things that people have done,” Fryberger said. “It’s on the news every night. And we just have to remember that.”
Bergquist was known by the Boise police and the Boise mall for previous incidents, specifically disruptive behavior. But prior to Monday’s shooting, police say it had no reason to arrest him. As for why the shooting took place, people are still looking for a motive.
“I just wish we could find out what is making people this angry,” Fryberger said.
The exact cause and manner of Bergquist’s death hasn’t been released yet by the coroner’s office. Police are interviewing people at the local, state, and federal levels, looking for anyone who knew him in an attempt to understand the motivation for the crime.
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