EAGLE, Idaho — Eagle Police Chief Ryan Wilkie says their suspect in the Westmark Credit Union shooting that took place Wednesday afternoon walked directly into a conference room where his estranged wife was eating lunch with her coworkers, and began shooting.
The 38-year-old man, identified Thursday as Michael Lugaresi, entered the credit union and "knew where to find" his 36-year-old wife, Brittany Lugaresi in a room with other employees, Wilkie told KTVB. The credit union is located off Eagle Road and Eagle River Street near Highway 44, surrounded by multiple other businesses.
When the suspect entered the conference room around 1 p.m., the chief said, he fired several times at his wife "but it was clear he was engaging her soley." She was pronounced dead when police arrived at the scene.
"The scene was very chaotic," Wilkie said. "It appears they were going through a divorce." Court records show the two were in fact going through a divorce with minor children involved. They had a pre-trial conference scheduled for March 28, and a trial scheduled for April 27.
Another person who was injured during the attack appeared to have been struck by a bullet because she was sitting next to the victim at the time, Wilkie said. She sustained non-life threatening injuries.
After the shooting, the suspect left the credit union and turned the gun on himself in the bank parking lot where he was found by police, the Ada County Sheriff's Office said. Michael Lugaresi died of his injuries late Wednesday night in a local hospital.
Police have done some digging on any domestic violence-related incidents, but Wilkie said there were no police calls coming from the couple's home in Meridian. Police also searched for any additional evidence at a home in Middleton.
Wilkie said there is no telling when the bank will reopen.
"This is not something that happens in the Treasure Valley very often, let alone in the city of Eagle. We're aware of that," Wilkie said. "I just implore people if they can, to reach out and talk about the incident if it's making them feel a certain way, but rest assured we will be there to make sure that you feel safe and that this community doesn't have to look over their shoulder moving forward."
The cause and manner of death for Brittany and Michael Lugaresi is still pending, according to the Ada County Coroner.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/ or call 800-799-7233.
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