UPDATE: Shelter in Place Lifted as Police Share Shooter Identity and Incident Info

On Sunday night, around 10:30 PM, a city-wide ‘Shelter In Place’ advisory was sent to phones across the city of Twin Falls. The police activity was centralized on the south side of the city near the stock yard and along Highland Ave near the Oregon Trail Youth Baseball Complex.

The incident began around 9:30 on Sunday night, the Shelter in Place message was sent an hour later - around 10:30, and the advisory was lifted a little before 6:30 AM on Monday morning. The suspect is still on the loose but police have determined he is not a threat to the community and there have been no injuries reported.

Idaho Police Share Details of Twin Falls Shooting and Shelter in Place Advisory

I was at the radio station, which is adjacent to the baseball complex, when the alert came through my phone. I was on my way home, so I got in my car and almost immediately saw police lights north of the station and a police car drove in front of my car as I left. At that time I didn’t know the search was happening just a block away.

The alert sent to phones simply stated: Public safety message: SHELTER IN PLACE - ADULT MALE WHO IS ARMED AND DANGEROUS. WHI 32YOM, 5’9, 190LBS, ON FOOT. A text message sent shortly after had a link to more information about the search. The final alert on Monday morning when the Shelter in Place was lifted didn’t offer much info. It stated that it was an isolated incident and the public is not as risk. It didn’t say whether they caught the suspect or what had happened overnight.

On social media, groups were discussing the incident and sharing that the man had not been caught. The Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office eventually shared a post, around noon, with full details on the incident and a photo of the suspect. They say the incident began as a shots fired call near Kimberly in the area of 3100 N and 3500 E. A home at 3127 N 3500 E was identified with multiple gunshots and a parked vehicle that had been rammed.

Police began searching for the suspect in a 1990 GMC Jimmy, and quickly found him which resulted in a short police pursuit along Orchard Drive to a South park subdivision of homes at Highland Ave and Benno Street. Some reports say the suspect crashed near the stockyard, which is on the other side of the canyon. The driver, identified as Jacob Bellus, then fled on foot and is still on the run from police.

Some people on social media claiming to know Bellus, seemed surprised that he would do something like this, saying he would only act this way if forced to protect his family.

While police say he isn’t a threat to the community, residents should contact the police of they see him rather than confront him. Responding departments included the Twin Falls Police, Idaho State Police, and the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office.

There is some confusion on details of the event as some sources say it began at the Sugar Beet Factory and ended with a crash at the stockyard which differs from the information shared above by the TFCSO. This is an ongoing event, crimes are alleged, and more details and clarifications should be shared by the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office.