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Tribune News Service
Tribune News Service
National
Katy Moeller

3-year-old birthday girl dies after Boise stabbing; suspect charged with murder

BOISE, Idaho _ A 30-year-old California man accused of a vicious stabbing attack of nine refugees, including six young children, was charged with murder on Monday after one of the children died from injuries related to the attack.

Timmy Earl Kinner was arraigned at the Ada County Courthouse on Monday afternoon.

A 3-year-old victim, who was celebrating her birthday when the attack happened, was flown to Utah for treatment and died there, according to a Boise Police press release. The police are not releasing her name until additional notifications have been made.

One other child has been treated and released from a local hospital, while the seven remaining victims are still in the hospital. Many of those still in the hospital have serious or critical injuries.

Boise Police stated in the release that "due to the nature of their injuries," police will not be providing regular status updates on their conditions.

Boise Police are asking anyone who has had contact with Kinner in recent weeks or months to contact Boise Police by calling Crime Stoppers: at 208-343-2677, www.343COPS.com or leave a tip using the "P3 Tips" app for your mobile device. The out-of-area number to call is 1-800-222-TIPS.

Kinner was booked into the Ada County Jail early Sunday morning on nine counts of felony aggravated battery and six counts of felony injury to a child. He is being held without bail due to extreme risk to the community, said Judge Russell Comstock.

A deputy prosecutor at the court hearing said Kinner has exhibited aggressive behavior while in jail. Kinner requested to represent himself, but Comstock said he would assign Kinner a public defender for now.

"Do you understand what you've been charged with now, sir?" Comstock asked.

"No, no, sir," Kinner replied.

"What don't you understand?" the judge asked.

"I don't understand none of this, sir," Kinner said.

The jail roster lists Kinner's city of residence as Los Angeles, but an Ada County deputy prosecutor at the court hearing said Kinner was homeless with no real ties to Boise. Kinner was in Utah in April and Southern California in March.

He also has an extensive criminal record in Tennessee, according to court records.

Boise Police Chief Bill Bones said Kinner was staying with someone at the Wylie Street Station Apartments last week, but on Friday was asked to leave.

Police responded to reports of a man attacking people at the Wylie Street Station Apartments with a knife just before 9 p.m. Saturday.

Investigators say Kinner returned to the apartment complex seeking revenge for being kicked out. He is accused of attacking children at a 3-year-old's birthday party, as well as adults and others in the vicinity. Police found stabbing victims inside and outside the apartments.

"This is an attack against those who are most vulnerable, our children," Bones said. "It's untenable, unconscionable and is pure evil in my mind." All of the victims were hospitalized in Boise; one child was later flown to a Salt Lake City hospital. The extent of the victims' physical injuries varied, but some will be life-altering, Bones said at a news conference Sunday.

Boiseans responded to the shocking attack _ described by the police chief as the largest in department history _ with a rally, prayer service and fund-raising for the victims. Donations can be made online at rescue.org/Boise.

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