Idaho man accused of fatally shooting boy, yelling about end of the world

Authorities booked an Emmett man into Ada County Jail early Monday on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with a Horseshoe Bend shooting that killed a boy younger than age 12.

Benjamin Poirier, 44, is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder.

Police say Poirier entered a Horseshoe Bend trailer park around 10:25 p.m. Sunday and approached a trailer belonging to a family he did not know. Poirier was heard yelling about the end of the world and started shooting through the trailer, police say. A bullet struck and fatally wounded a boy, younger than age 12, who has not been named.

Idaho State Police Capt. Matt Sly said he heard about the yelling but did not know what it meant. He said detectives will continue to interview witnesses and may have the opportunity to interview the suspect to learn more context about Poirier’s alleged behavior.

“This was a random act,” Sly told the Statesman on Monday. “From what I was told, the suspect didn’t know the people in the trailer.”

Poirier then drove his car into a propane tank and hit the trailer, Sly said. The collision did not start a fire and a Boise County Sheriff’s deputy arrived and detained the suspect with the help of some people in the area.

Copies of Poirier’s charging documents were not immediately available. He was arraigned in Boise County on Monday afternoon.

He’s being held without bond and his next court date is set for March 30, according to online court records.

The motive for the shooting remains unclear.

This breaking story will be updated as more information becomes available.

This article first appeared on the Idaho Statesman. It is used here with permission.