On December 11, 2012, Cindy Ann Yuille, a 54-year-old resident of Happy Valley, Oregon, tragically lost her life in a shooting incident at the Clackamas Town Center mall in suburban Portland, Oregon. Yuille, who was described by her family as 'everybody's friend,' was a hospice nurse known for her caring and compassionate nature. She and her husband, Robert Yuille, both worked in the hospice care field, and her family remembered her as a wonderful person who always put others first.
The shooting occurred when a masked gunman, later identified as Jacob Tyler Roberts, 22, entered the mall through a Macy's store around 3:30 p.m. Roberts was armed with a stolen AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and wore a white hockey mask and black clothing. He moved quickly towards the food court, firing shots and causing widespread panic among the shoppers. Yuille and another victim, Steven Mathew Forsyth, 45, were hit by bullets near the food court. Forsyth, a married father of two, was the owner of a business at the mall and was known for his entrepreneurial spirit and zest for life.
Roberts' attack was characterized by his intent to kill as many people as possible, according to Sheriff Craig Roberts. The gunman's weapon briefly jammed while he was shooting at the food court, but he quickly resumed firing. In addition to Yuille and Forsyth, a third victim, 15-year-old Kristina Shevchenko, was seriously injured when she was hit in the back, with the bullet bruising her lung but not piercing any major organs. Shevchenko managed to make her way outside to the first floor of the mall, where she met police and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Jacob Tyler Roberts, the perpetrator of the shooting, had no apparent relationship with the victims and no clear motive for the attack. He had stolen the AR-15 rifle from someone he knew and was equipped with a load-bearing vest and several fully loaded magazines. Roberts attended Clackamas Community College and worked at a gyro shop in downtown Portland. His Facebook profile showed him firing a gun at a target, and he had posted a picture with graffiti that read 'Follow Your Dreams' crossed out with the word 'Cancelled.' School officials described him as an average student with no disciplinary record during his time at Milwaukie High School and Oregon City High School.
After the shooting, Roberts ran down a hallway and a flight of stairs to the first floor of the mall, near an REI store, where he ultimately shot himself. The police investigation included searching his home and car, but they did not disclose what they found. It was confirmed that his fingerprints matched those in a law enforcement database, although he had no prior convictions. Roberts' mother, Tami Roberts, expressed shock and grief over her son's actions, stating that she had no understanding or explanation for his behavior and that it was completely out of his character.
There were no arrests made in this case, as Jacob Tyler Roberts took his own life at the scene of the crime. The incident left the community in shock and grief, with the families of the victims and the wider public struggling to understand the motivations behind such a tragic and senseless act of violence.
