Boise Police Chief Bill Bones speaks with reporters after a man wielding a knife wounded six children and three adults (Photo: Youtube)
Six children and three adults were stabbed Saturday night in what Boise police are calling the highest casualty event in the city’s history. The attack took place during a three-year-old’s birthday party at a low-income apartment complex that mainly houses refugees.
All nine victims are refugees from overseas, all have been hospitalized, and four are being treated for life-threatening injuries. The victims include three adults, the 3-year-old birthday girl, two 4-year-olds, and children ages 6, 8, and 12.
“As you can imagine the witnesses in the apartment complex along with the rest of our community are reeling from this attack,” Boise Police Chief Bill Bones said at a press conference on Sunday. “This is an attack against those who are most vulnerable, our children. It’s untenable, unconscionable and is pure evil in my mind.”
Bones said police responded within four minutes and found the injured lying in the buildings, on the walkways, and in the street.
“The crime scene, the faces of the parents struggling, the tears coming down their faces, the faces of the children in the hospital beds, will be something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” Bones said. “And so will every first responder that was there last night.”
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Police have identified the suspect as a 30-year-old man from Los Angeles who has an extensive criminal history involving drugs and firearms. The man had recently been kicked out of the apartment complex where the attack took place, and he returned to “exact vengeance,” according to police.
Not finding the individuals who had asked him to leave, he decided to attack “any target which was available.” A birthday party was taking place several doors down from where the man had been staying, and police say he began by “targeting the children” before adults stepped in to defend them.
He’s been charged with nine counts of aggravated battery and six counts of injury to a child, all of which are felonies. Bones said more charges may be forthcoming.
The suspect’s rap sheet includes dealing marijuana and Xanax, theft, and at least two counts of illegally possessing a firearm, according to the Idaho Statesman.
Boise residents held a rally on Sunday to support the victims of the attack.
Fidel Nshombo, Idaho representative for the Refugee Congress, a national advocacy group, helped lead the rally. He told the Statesman that Boise has been a place of “love, peace, and stability” since he emigrated as a refugee in 2006. Now an American citizen, he wanted to support those who had been attacked.
“I felt how defenseless those kids were, and how their parents felt they couldn’t protect them in those moments,” he said. “I had to come and support them and be part of this.”
Notice how the state of Idaho protects it’s Muslims! They are all employed at the Chobani yogurt company. I sincerely hope that the Muslim men are not adding any additional ingredients, not posted on the label.
When I think of Idaho, I don’t think, “wow, those fellas can sure protect a Muslim”… And Syrians, Iraqis and Ethiopians aren’t necessarily Muslims. Protection shouldn’t be predicated upon religion, unless it’s a radicalized and weaponized version. I am totally with you on the Chobani yogurt, though, I had some today, and now I’m queasy at the thought of “extra ingredients”. I didn’t even realize Chobani was Idahoan or Muslim. Hopefully Idaho protects its yogurt!
one kid has died from what i read. but the liberal commie progressive democRATS want us to let even more of this trash into our country just so they can get more votes by way of free handouts.
Wow, you are confused, but who isn’t these days? Progressive, liberal, communist, democrats? These are not really the same thing… But you can learn about that on your own time. Either way, anybody that opposes or wants to diminishvor forfeit our 2nd Amendment Rights is obviously not thinking clearly, and is it ignorant, some wilfully. The US doesn’t allow immigration or provide asylum to get votes, it’s because it’s the USA, and our country and Constitution were created by immigrants. You and I would not be here, otherwise. If you read the article, the perpetrator was from Los Angeles, the stabbing victims were refugees
What a tragedy but of course, guns are the problem as always according to leftists and most of the media.
Unfortunately the media has skewed your understanding of Leftists as well (and a bunch of gullible and ignorant folks that are under the delusional mindset that they can oppose civilian gun rights and be “Leftists”. Real Leftists do NOT want to impede or water down the 2nd Amendment or Civil Rights to keep and bear arms, that opposes major tenets of Leftism. Perhaps a bunch of confused or nefarious democrats do, but democrats are generally not Leftists, that’s for damn sure, however, fortunately, some of them are pro 2A, not nearly enough. Be well
So, why are you mentioning guns? Guns were not used here. Please drop the stupidity.
I hope somebody “gets” him in jail. He deserves a harsher sentence than most thugs
If the anti gunners got their wish and ALL guns were banned, how many people do you think a lunatic with a machete could kill in a gun free zone (everywhere in that scenario) before there was an armed police response?
If you show up unarmed to a machete fight you will leave unarmed. & maybe unlegged & unheaded.
Haha
Psychopaths and predators love the advantage of a gun-free zone. Anti-gun folks are very confused, and unfortunately a great deal of modern American people are of the mindset that our 2nd Amendment Rights are attached to any political affiliation, or worse: that they are flexibly interpretable. One way I discovered warms peoples’ up to the idea of a decent civilian with a firearm, and that is to save lives from a violent sociopath’s assault and be witnessed by neighbors. Hopefully most people are never put in such a situation, but at least it put a good face on Civil Gun Rights in this neighborhood, and a city and state which has senselessly attacked the 2A, with absolutely zero positive results (obviously)
No AR-15 involved. No gun involved. Expect this story to be buried pronto. Can’t let out the fact that other weapons kill people too, they just don’t fit the MSM narrative.
The left can’t read.
Locally there has been no effort to hide the perp’s name or Identity. He is a black male from out of state. Has an extensive violent record.
The three year old girl, whose birthday party it was, has since died.
Be aware and carry always.
The BPD did identify the offender, this article didn’t and choose to use the dog whistle “thug” in the headline instead.
Why protect the identity of this “30 years old thug”??
Afraid to offend some protected or favored group, BPD?
TO HELL WITH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS – ESPECIALLY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT!