BOISE, Idaho — Following Monday's deadly shooting at the Boise Towne Square mall, the Treasure Valley is beginning the healing process from the traumatic event, with the help of counseling services.
On Friday, KTVB spoke with one woman who was inside Spencer's at the mall when the shooting started.
"I honestly never locked my cars, I wasn't worried about anything, I'd go out at night with my brothers and wouldn't be worried about anything," Abi Burbank told KTVB. "It's definitely a switch in perspective what the world is coming to now."
Burbank and her boyfriend's sister were at the mall and saw people running and faint screaming before a mall custodian ran into the store and told everyone the mall was going into lockdown due to an active shooter. That's when reality hit Burbank.
"It was a series of panic, fear and also confusion because I never thought anything like that would ever happen. If anybody from out of Idaho would have asked me what Idaho was like, I would say, 'It was very safe, this is where I would raise a family, I wouldn't be worried about anything happening here,'" she said.
As Burbank opens up more about Monday's traumatizing experience, crisis counselors in the Treasure Valley want everyone who was impacted by the shooting to know that they're not alone.
Paige Dinger, the executive director of Faces of Hope, said the group's counselors have told her that the faster victims can deal with the trauma, the faster they can begin healing.
"A lot of times it's just talking and talking through your emotions and validating the feelings that you felt during that incident," Dinger said. "We all have the right to feel safe. That was taken away from people who were at the mall."
Faces of Hope, which is a victim service center based in Boise, is working to support the Treasure Valley community by providing counseling for those who need it.
For Burbank, she's glad there are community resources as she works through Monday's traumatic events.
"For me, it's like I made it home and I made it safe I have a lot to be grateful for. I don't necessarily think I have to talk about it, but if I do I know I have people to talk to," she said.
Victim-Witness Coordinators will be available at the Boise Towne Square mall for those who need any support following Monday's shooting. They will be available Tuesday, Nov. 2 and Thursday, Nov. 4, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Follow-up counseling sessions for survivors will also be available at the Center and virtually via TeleHealth. Community members can call or walk-in for services.
Counseling services:
- https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/community-engagement/community-resources/
- Mental Health Counselors Association - info@idahomhca.org
- BPA Health - 800-726-0003
- Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline - 208-398-HELP (phone or text)
- Pathways Community Crisis Center, 7192 W. Potomac, Boise
- Western Idaho Community Crisis Center, 524 Cleveland Blvd Suite 160, Caldwell
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