Killings of 4 University of Idaho students may not have been the result of a targeted attack, officials now say
As a campus community gathered Wednesday to pay their respects for four University of Idaho students killed on November 13, officials clarified additional details in their investigation to find the culprit responsible for their deaths.
Authorities in the college town of Moscow, where the students were found, have previously said they suspected the killings were the result of a targeted attack. But an update from the City of Moscow on Wednesday referenced an earlier “miscommunication” with the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office, which stated the attacker or attackers “specifically looked at this residence” and “one or more of the occupants were undoubtedly targeted.”
“Detectives do not currently know if the residence or any occupants were specifically targeted but continue to investigate,” the city’s statement said. CNN has reached out to the Moscow Police Communications Team and to the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office for clarification.
The four students – Ethan Chapin, 20; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Madison Mogen, 21 – were found stabbed to death in an off-campus home, upending a town that hadn’t recorded a single murder since 2015.
On November 15, two days after the discovery of their deaths, Moscow police said in a statement that officials “do not believe there is an ongoing threat for community members. Evidence indicates that this was a targeted attack.”
Yet the following day, police officials asked the public for stay vigilant and for their assistance with information.
“We cannot say there is no threat to the community,” Moscow Police Chief James Fry said. As the investigation advanced, authorities have publicly maintained the likelihood that the killings were a targeted incident.
Multiple local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are still working to determine who is responsible for the killings. At least 150 interviews have been conducted and more than 1,000 tips from the public have been received, police say.
No suspect has been identified and the murder weapon – believed to be a fixed-blade knife – has not been found. Authorities said they have not ruled out the possibility that more than one person may be involved in the stabbings.