BOISE, Idaho — A man who police say killed two people and injured three others during a shooting in October 2021 died by a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Ada County Coroner's office in records obtained in a public records request by KTVB.
Jacob Bergquist, 27, died after he began shooting his weapon throughout the Boise Towne Square Mall, police said in October.
The manner of death listed on the report is suicide.
According to a release by Boise Police Department on Oct. 28, an officer that fired back at Bergquist watched him hide behind a dumpster, where he heard a shot fired.
Bergquist was pronounced dead on Oct. 26, 2021 after being transported to the hospital.
The two victims of the shooting were identified as 26-year-old Jo Acker and 49-year-old Roberto Padilla Arguelles.
Background
Boise Police, Boise Towne Square Mall security, and Idaho State Police were all familiar with the gunman before the deadly rampage, according to law enforcement records.
Bergquist was convicted of felony retail theft in Chicago, Illinois and had a misdemeanor drug possession charge in Wisconsin. On his now-deleted YouTube channel, Bergquist posted videos about how he was a felon who owned guns and strongly advocated for the restoration of felons' firearms rights. He also described himself as disliking Hispanics.
On March 7, 2021, police received a call for service from Walmart in Meridian about Bergquist carrying a firearm in the store.
Bergquist, an employee at the Walmart, was openly carrying a gun while shopping at the Fairview Avenue store, Meridian Police spokeswoman Kelsey Johnston said.
"A manager at Walmart requested that Bergquist remove his firearm per store policy and Jacob became verbally abusive to the manager and then left the store," Johnston said in a statement.
Staff at the Walmart called Meridian Police to report the incident, and an responding officer found Bergquist in a nearby parking lot. Bergquist was not arrested or charged, but was given a warning and told not to return to the Walmart, police said last year.
Boise Police also recorded multiple interactions between law enforcement and Bergquist while he was openly carrying a gun in Boise last spring.
At least two officers referred police reports to the Ada County Prosecutor's office to determine whether Bergquist, a felon, was allowed to possess a firearm. ISP also asked the prosecutor's office to look into Bergquist after a trooper came into contact with him at the Statehouse in April.
According to a police report, Bergquist walked into the Capitol with a gun, and told people he was a convicted felon but was allowed to own guns in Idaho. He requested to interview Idaho Gov. Brad Little to get his thoughts on felons owning guns.
The Ada County Prosecutor's Office said the office could not take any action against Bergquist for carrying a firearm because the Illinois theft was not on the list of felony convictions that prohibit firearm possession under Idaho law, as outlined in Idaho Code Section 18-310.
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