BOISE, Idaho — More information, including an updated timeline from inside the mall, was released October 29th, 2021, about the shooting at Boise Towne Square.
The Ada County Critical Task Force is still investigating the shooting, according to a news release. All officers involved have been interviewed as part of the investigation.
The investigation into the suspect's motive is ongoing. There will not be formal charges brought against the deceased suspect, but police say they are looking into whether he may have targeted anyone for any specific reasons.
As Idaho News 6 previously reported, multiple Boise Police officers responded to the mall with lights and sirens around 1:50 p.m. on October 25. Two officers riding together in a vehicle found a person matching the suspect's description behind a business in the area, according to the release.
Police say as they drove in the suspect's general location, the suspect started firing a weapon at the patrol vehicle. The officer in the passenger seat exited the vehicle to take cover and move to a better position, according to the updated information.
The officer in the driver's seat was wearing a Boise Police logo ball cap as part of his uniform and the hat was hit with gunfire from the suspect, according to the release. The officer was cut on the face by metal and glass fragments. The officer kept driving toward the suspect and fired back before the suspect ran behind a nearby dumpster, according to BPD.
The officer who shot his weapon at the suspect is identified by Boise Police as Officer C. Dance, an 11-year law enforcement veteran who joined the Boise Police Department in May 2021. The release says he is on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure after a critical incident.
Another one of the initial responding officers was on a police motorcycle. Police say as he drove up to the scene and saw the suspect firing in his direction, he laid down his motorcycle and took cover behind it.
The release says the suspect was firing west toward Milwaukee, where a victim in a white SUV was shot and hurt.
Boise Police also provided an updated timeline from inside the mall. Boise Towne Square security video shows the suspect wearing a backpack and open carrying a weapon in the mall for about 40 minutes while he walked around and ate in the food court.
Boise Police was not called during this time and evidence shows when the security officer contacted the suspect, they spoke and the suspect started to walk away, then turned back and shot the security office, according to the release.
Related: Family, coroner identify security guard killed in mall shooting
Police go on to say the suspect continued firing as he walked, with one bullet hitting a man's jacket as his wife pulled him away.
Additional shots were fired down a hallway towards juveniles, who were not hit according to the release. The suspect fired multiple times at Roberto Padilla Arguelles, who died of his injuries, and the escalator he was on. The man also fired the gun toward the floor where two women were hit.
Police say all of the victims who were injured have been released from the hospital and are recovering.
Information was shared with BPD several months ago about the suspect's behavior and beliefs seen by Boise Police officers and other local law enforcement, according to the release. Police say none of his actions were considered criminal under Idaho law and there were no actionable, specific threats.
The information in this updated release is considered preliminary pending the results of the Critical Incident Task Force investigation.
