On Saturday night, Timmy Kinner, 30, stabbed nine people at a 3-year-old's birthday party in Boise. Of the nine people he stabbed, six of them were children and all were refugees from overseas. All nine people had to be hospitalized, with one of the children being life flighted to Salt Lake City, the Idaho Statesman reported.
Kinner had been staying with a resident who lives in the low-income housing complex that is part of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program that limits rent payments to 30 percent of a renter's income. After becoming concerned with Kinner's behavior, the resident asked him to leave on Friday. He left peacefully but then, the next day, Kinner returned to seek vengeance.
According to Boise Police Chief Bill Bones, Kinner targeted the children first then the adults who stepped in to protect them.
"These are victims who in their past homes have fled violence from Syria, Iraq and Ethiopia," Police Chief Bill Bones said Sunday. "This is an attack against those who are most vulnerable, our children. It's untenable, unconscionable and is pure evil in my mind."
When officers arrived on the scene around 9 p.m. bodies were scattered across the apartment complex.
"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."
According to the Boise Police Department (BPD), Kinner has a criminal record.
"Kinner has an extensive criminal history spanning several states. He has spent time in prison and his past does include violence against others. The suspect had only been in Idaho a short time and has no arrests in Idaho. He is not a refugee," BPD said in a statement.
Kinner has a long-standing criminal history. Here's what his record looks like:
• 2008: Indicted in Tennessee for illegal possession of a semi-automatic handgun and distributing 12 grams or more marijuana.
• 2015: Obstructed a highway, possessed Xanax and marijuana with the intent to sell it, illegally possessed a firearm, and was charged with theft.
• April 2018: Arrested in Utah for theft.
Boise Mayor Dave Bieter took to Twitter to voice his concern:
Last night’s horrific attack does not represent Boise. Please join me in praying for the injured and their families. We must come together to condemn this vile act.
— Mayor Dave Bieter (@MayorBieter) July 1, 2018
It was announced, on Monday, that the youngest victim, a 3-year-old, did not survive the brutal attack, despite being taken to Utah for medical attention.
"We are heartbroken today to learn of the death of one of Saturday’s young victims. The thought of a happy occasion like a child’s birthday party being turned into the darkest of sorrows in such a vicious way is almost unfathomable," Bieter said in a statement. "I know every Boisean joins me in sending our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones, as well as continued thoughts and prayers to the other eight victims recovering from their injuries."
The Boise Police Department will not release the name of the victim until family is notified.
Kinner faces nine charges of felony aggravated battery and six felony counts of injury to a child.
UPDATE: The 3-year-old has since passed. Kinner is facing a first-degree murder charge. Ada County prosecutors are contemplating the death penalty, the Idaho Statesman reported.
It's About The Person, Not The Weapon
For years, gun rights activists have made the argument that a criminal who wants to commit a crime will do so if that is their intention. Gun control advocates are quick to say that stricter gun laws would prevent mass shootings and mass hysteria, which is false.
Sadly, a criminal who wants to hurt others will do anything in their power to commit a heinous act. What happened in Boise is a sad reminder that there are many, many weapon options out there. It isn't just a firearm that can cause mass carnage.
Our focus needs to be on arming and training law-abiding citizens to protect themselves, not blaming the weapon of choice.