Killings of 4 University of Idaho students may not have been the result of a targeted attack, officials now say - CNN

CNN  — 

As a field assemblage gathered Wednesday to wage their respects for 4 University of Idaho students killed connected November 13, officials clarified further details successful their probe to find the culprit liable for their deaths.

Authorities successful the assemblage municipality of Moscow, wherever the students were found, person previously said they suspected the killings were the effect of a targeted attack. But an update from the City of Moscow connected Wednesday referenced an earlier “miscommunication” with the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office, which stated the attacker oregon attackers “specifically looked astatine this residence” and “one oregon much of the occupants were undoubtedly targeted.”

“Detectives bash not presently cognize if the residence oregon immoderate occupants were specifically targeted but proceed to investigate,” the city’s connection said. CNN has reached retired to the Moscow Police Communications Team and to the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office for clarification.

The 4 students – Ethan Chapin, 20; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Madison Mogen, 21 – were recovered stabbed to decease successful an off-campus home, upending a municipality that hadn’t recorded a azygous execution since 2015.

On November 15, 2 days aft the find of their deaths, Moscow constabulary said successful a connection that officials “do not judge determination is an ongoing menace for assemblage members. Evidence indicates that this was a targeted attack.”

Yet the pursuing day, constabulary officials asked the nationalist for enactment vigilant and for their assistance with information.

 “We cannot accidental determination is nary menace to the community,” Moscow Police Chief James Fry said. As the probe advanced, authorities person publically maintained the likelihood that the killings were a targeted incident.

Multiple local, authorities and national instrumentality enforcement agencies are inactive working to determine who is liable for the killings. At slightest 150 interviews person been conducted and much than 1,000 tips from the nationalist person been received, constabulary say.

No fishy has been identified and the execution limb – believed to beryllium a fixed-blade weapon – has not been found. Authorities said they person not ruled retired the anticipation that much than 1 idiosyncratic whitethorn beryllium progressive successful the stabbings.

The assemblage assemblage gathered astatine the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center – besides known arsenic the Kibbie Dome – to grant the lives of the 4 students Wednesday. School officials and 3 of the 4 families spoke astir however the 4 would beryllium missed aft their abrupt deaths.

“The circumstances that bring america present contiguous – they’re terrible,” said Stacy Chapin, the parent of Ethan Chapin. “The hardest portion – we cannot alteration the outcome.”

Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were friends since 6th grade, Steve Goncalves said.

“They conscionable recovered each other, and each time they did homework together, they came to our location together, they shared everything,” helium said. “In the end, they died together, successful the aforesaid country successful the aforesaid bed.”

“When I look astatine each of you guys, there’s lone 1 mode for this to get a small better, to heal a small spot … you are conscionable going to person to emotion each other,” Goncalves added.

Ben Mogen, the begetter of Madison Mogen, shared memories of her emotion for unrecorded music, her hard enactment ethic and however meaningful it was to him that she was capable to acquisition emotion with her boyfriend.

While it’s unclear however agelong the probe volition instrumentality oregon “the wherefore successful this horrific act,” the assemblage “will each spell done this together,” said Blaine Eckles, the university’s dean of students.

He besides encouraged everyone to “tell the amusive stories, retrieve them successful the bully times and bash not fto their lives beryllium defined by however they died, but alternatively retrieve them for the joyousness they dispersed and the amusive times they shared portion they lived.”

Eckles besides reminded students of the antithetic resources disposable to them, similar counseling, and to stock their feelings with those astir them.

Since the find of the attack, investigators person built a timeline of the 4 students’ past known whereabouts.

On the nighttime of the killings, Goncalves and Mogen were astatine a sports bar, and Chapin and Kernodle were seen astatine a fraternity party.

Investigators judge each 4 victims had returned to the location by 2 a.m. the nighttime of the stabbings. Two surviving roommates had besides gone retired successful Moscow that night, constabulary said, and returned to the location by 1 a.m.

Police initially said Goncalves and Mogen returned to the location by 1:45 a.m., but they aboriginal updated the timeline, saying integer grounds showed the brace returned astatine 1:56 a.m. aft visiting a nutrient motortruck and being driven location by a “private party.”

The adjacent morning, 2 surviving roommates “summoned friends to the residence due to the fact that they believed 1 of the second-floor victims had passed retired and was not waking up,” constabulary said successful a release. Somebody called 911 from the location astatine 11:58 a.m. utilizing 1 of the surviving roommates’ phones.

When constabulary arrived, they recovered 2 victims connected the 2nd level and 2 victims connected the 3rd floor. There was nary motion of forced introduction oregon damage, constabulary said.

Investigators bash not judge the 2 surviving roommates were progressive successful the deaths.

A coroner determined the 4 victims were each stabbed aggregate times and were apt dormant erstwhile the attacks began. Some of the students had antiaircraft wounds, according to the Latah County coroner.