Man dead after shooting in Jerome

JEROME, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) -A man is being charged with second degree murder among other charges, following a shooting Friday night in Jerome.

According to court documents, Jose Valdez-Castillo has been charged with Murder 2, assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

On Friday the Jerome County Sheriff’s office responded to St. Luke’s for a report of a victim with a gunshot wound to the chest. Jonathan Bonilla-Carvajal was pronounced deceased at approximately 11:54 p.m.

Court minutes state that during an interview with Valdez-Castillo, he spoke about someone threatening his cousin and shooting at her residence, and also receiving threatening texts. Valdez-Castillo said he went to his cousin’s residence where someone there had a rifle and was threatening to hurt him. Valdez-Castillo later says he fought over the rifle and took it from the guy who had it and left the residence and discarded it in a field next to some farm equipment in Wendell. Valdez-Castillo was able to take detectives to the location of rifle, where they found a black Smith and Wesson M&P-15.

Another individual who was interviewed by officials said, Valdez Castillo had placed the barrel of the firearm in his chest. The individual stated that he had grabbed the barrel of the gun and started fighting with Valdez-Castillo for the firearm. During the fight, the individual says Valdez-Castillo was able to start firing the firearm, and when the shooting stopped, they separated and Valdez-Castillo left.

KMVT was unable to determine in the court documents how Jonathan Bonilla-Carvajal was shot. Jose Valdez-Castillo is being held on a $500,000 dollar bond.

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