A man who had been asked to leave a Boise apartment complex returned the next day and stabbed children celebrating a 3-year-old girl’s birthday in an attack that left the city reeling, Police Chief William Bones said in an emotional news conference Sunday. The victims included the birthday girl and five other children ages 4 to 12. “It’s untenable, unconscionable, and is pure evil.”

Among the young victims was the 3-year-old birthday girl, two 4-year-olds, and children aged 6, 8, and 12. A resident of the apartment complex where the stabbing took place had allowed 30-year-old Timmy Kinner to stay there a short time, but asked him to leave Friday because of his behaviour, Bones said. Kinner, who is not a refugee, targeted the party that was held a few doors down from the apartment where he had stayed for a short time, police said. Kinner was being held without bail at the Ada County jail on 15 charges, including six of injury to a child and nine of aggravated battery, jail records showed. The Saturday night attack took place at a toddler's birthday party in a low-income apartment complex for refugees. Police said an unnamed resident was allowing Kinner to stay there, but asked him to leave because of “his behavior.”

“As you can imagine, the witnesses in the apartment complex — along with the rest of our community — are reeling from this attack,” the police chief said. Courtesy Ada County Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS

Boise Mayor Dave Bieter said the “horrific attack” did not represent the state capital, which is the largest city in Idaho and has some 225,000 residents.
A man stabs multiple people celebrating a three-year-old's birthday party at an apartment complex housing refugees in Boise, Idaho. Nine people are injured, including the birthday girl and five other children; the birthday girl dies the next day.