In the late evening hours of September 23, 2015, a young White/Caucasian man named Zacheriah Neil Peterson, age 21, was fatally shot at the Boise Depot in Idaho. The incident was the culmination of a heated dispute. Witnesses reported seeing Peterson arguing with another man before the confrontation turned violent. Responding to a call of shots fired shortly before 9 p.m., Boise police officers discovered Peterson with a gunshot wound to his chest.
He was rushed to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, but tragically succumbed to his injuries at about 9:30 p.m. His death was officially ruled a homicide by the Ada County Coroner.
The investigation swiftly led police to a suspect, 24-year-old Brandon T. Bahr. An intense search for Bahr ensued after he fled the scene. He was located and taken into custody without incident at a residence in Meridian at 12:30 a.m. the following day. Bahr was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and felony aggravated assault in connection with Peterson's death.
As the case proceeded to trial, the motive behind the fatal encounter came to light. Prosecutors revealed that the conflict stemmed from a love triangle involving Bahr, his ex-girlfriend, and Peterson, who was her new boyfriend. The day of the shooting, a volatile text message exchange took place between Bahr and the former couple. Bahr had made direct threats against Peterson's life during this exchange. The two men had arranged to meet at the Boise Depot that evening to confront each other. Bahr armed himself with a stolen handgun and wore a bandana to conceal his face. After a jury trial, Brandon T. Bahr was convicted of first-degree murder and three other charges for the death of Zacheriah Peterson.
