Kelso mall store owner Jai Boiselle heard about the thwarted attack on the shopping center on Thursday — the same day FBI officials made the announcement and about two weeks after the suspect's arrest.
The agency reported Thursday afternoon that a Columbia County teen was arrested on May 22 after agents were tipped off three days prior to the suspect's detailed plans to set off a bomb and shoot patrons at the mall at 351 Three Rivers Drive.
Boiselle said her husband and co-owner of the mall's Twisted Monkey shop shared with her on Thursday the news of the arrest he saw online. It was hard for her to believe, Boiselle said, especially in such a small town.
Mall management also sent an email to store owners after the news broke, reiterating the center's safety and emphasizing that attentiveness to surroundings will keep the mall safe, Boiselle shared.
She said she won't close her shop — which sells items like Pokémon cards and airsoft guns — out of fear.
"We have to show them we're not scared," Boiselle said.
Concerns
Still, some patrons worried.
The news made Jacob Linn of Castle Rock question whether he should bring his concealed carry weapon and permit to the mall Thursday afternoon with his three children. He said he takes his kids — ages 1, 4 and 7 — to the Kelso Public Library, located in the mall, about once a week.
He said the news will stay with him.
"I'll very likely think about it a lot in the near future," he said.
Anthony Renteria of Kelso said he moved to the area from Vancouver about a year ago, partly to enjoy what he considers a small town with little violent crime. Those views made the news about the planned attack all the more shocking.
The FBI did not release suspected motive for the plans, but reported in a Thursday press release that the teen shared "nihilistic violent extremist ideology and the plans in online chats."
Those plans included a map of the mall and the shooter's route.
Renteria said he had to go to the mall Thursday to grab a dress for his wife, and second-guessed his safety in doing so.
"Will someone pick up what he started?" he asked about the suspect, which authorities have not released details on such as name, age or sex.
'Can't catch a break'
Not everyone at the mall Thursday afternoon had heard about the planned attack.
Teens Kaylee Lopez and Natalie Ramirez left the Regal movie theater around 3:45 p.m. with popcorn in hand.
The Longview girls didn't know the suspect had planned to release a chlorine bomb near the theater, then shoot patrons as they exited, then commit suicide, as the FBI reported.
The FBI said there was no specific date for the attack, but the suspect had everything in place to carry out the plan at any time.
Christal Burch, 72, of Kelso — who was at the mall Thursday afternoon with her 96-year-old mother — also didn't know. Burch said she visits the mall almost daily for power walks, and isn't fearful of an attack at the center where she never sees suspicious activity.
Still, just four days before the announcement of the thwarted attack, first responders received a report of an unrelated fire at the mall's T Nails & Beauty, located near JCPenney and the library.
The salon is currently closed due to damages, though the owner has said she hopes to reopen as soon as possible.
Two public safety reports in a week seem to tarnish the site's good work, said Renteria, after a recent rebranding from the Three Rivers Mall to Three Rivers Crossing following the November purchase by new owners.
"The mall can't catch a break," Renteria said. "They are trying so hard to make it something for the community and something like this happens."
