3 people killed by gunman at convenience store identified

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — The names of the three people killed in a random shooting Tuesday at a convenience store in Yakima, Washington, have been released.

Nikki Godfrey, 40, Roy Knoeb Jr., 65, both of Yakima, and Jeffrey Howlett, 54, of Selah, died in the shooting at a Circle K store, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported.

Godfrey and Knoeb were shot to death inside the store around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday by suspect Jarid Haddock, 21, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by Yakima police.

Haddock then walked outside and shot Howlett, who was sitting in his Chevrolet Tahoe car at the gas pumps, the affidavit said. Howlett was found with multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. Godfrey and Knoeb were found inside with multiple gunshot wounds, and also died at the scene, according to the affidavit.

A Circle K employee had been preparing deli food in the back kitchen and called 911 when they heard gunshots, the affidavit said.

Surveillance footage from the store showed Haddock first went inside around 3 a.m. He walked around for less than a minute while holding his phone, then left. Haddock re-entered the Circle K around 3:30 a.m., with a handgun, and starting firing immediately, the affidavit said.

Police have described the shooting as random.

A daylong search for Haddock involving multiple police agencies ended behind a Target store, where Haddock was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead an hour later, police said.

Before he shot himself, he borrowed a woman’s phone near Target and called his mother, police said.

The woman overheard Haddock say “I killed those people,” as well as threaten to kill himself, according to police. The woman got her phone back, separated herself from Haddock and called 911 to report his whereabouts, police said.

On Thursday, more than a dozen people gathered with candles and flowers in the parking lot of the Circle K. Knoeb’s son, Roy Knoeb III, called the deaths a loss for everybody.

“Not just for me, but for the shooter … If someone would have took the time to notice that he was hurting inside, a lot of stuff could have been prevented,” he said.

Friends of Godfrey and Knoeb said the two shared a home behind the Circle K. Police said they were getting food at the store when the shooting happened.

Knoeb’s son’s significant other, Amber-Nikole Anderson of Yakima, said Knoeb was a great man who will be dearly missed.

“I do know that (he) was a good guy and didn’t ever do anything but help others if it was within his possibility to do so,” she said.

Anderson said Godfrey “had a great, bubbly personality.”