POCATELLO — Margaret Nelson said she notified police Thursday afternoon when Bradley Wilson, 30, threatened her daughter, Cassie McKinley.

     Nelson is the McKinley’s mother and grandmother the two children Wilson and McKinley share.

    “He said he was going to see his children and nothing was going to stop him,” Nelson said. “Cassie had spent time with him the day before and he said some really mean things to her. I decided that he could not visit the kids at my house, he would have to make other arrangements.”

    McKinley and her five children are currently living with Nelson.

    Nelson said her daughter and Wilson, who was shot and killed by a Bannock County deputy after leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase through Pocatello and Chubbuck on Thursday night and then taking a hostage at Petco, were involved in an on- and off-again relationship spanning the past two years.

    “He was not a bad person,” Nelson said. “He was just strung out on drugs. When I met him, I thought he was wonderful — wonderful to my daughter and to my grandkids.”

    Nelson expressed her condolences to Wilson’s family and said her daughter spent Friday with them taking care of his final affairs.

    “(Cassie) is just numb right now,” Nelson said.

    Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen said an 18-year-old high school senior was taken hostage by Wilson shortly after the suspect entered Petco with a weapon.

    Chubbuck Police Chief Randy Severe said when officers believed that the hostage was in danger, they fired on Wilson striking him in the neck and killing him at the scene.

    Wilson attempted to re-enter the store, but the doors were locked when he exited with the young hostage.

    Samantha Redeye watched events unfold from her window at the Pine Ridge Apartments.

    Redeye said she was putting her two children to bed at about

8:15 p.m. when he saw the police barricade that cordoned off the area between Walgreens drug store and Petco.

    “I saw the guy come out with the hostage and he was pointing a gun at them,” Redeye said. “You always feel safe until you witness something like this.”

    William Sandquist also lives at the Pine Ridge apartment complex adjacent to Petco — he was out for his nightly walk when he encountered two K-9 officers on the grounds and saw the suspect running the down the hall of one of the buildings.

    “They told me to get back inside my apartment,” Sandquist said. “I came back outside and heard two gunshots.”

    Sandquist has lived at the complex for two years and said for the most part, things are pretty quiet.

    “It was pretty bizarre — pretty close to home,” he said.

    Kevin Whalen, corporate spokesman for Petco in San Diego, said the company’s position is that all information will be released through local law enforcement agencies.

    “We are pleased that things turned out well for the hostage and our store team,” Whalen said.

    Carson Glover, manager of the Sprint Store next door to Petco, said he learned about the incident by email and headed back to the store, which was already closed.

    “I showed up immediately to make sure there was no damage to the store,” Glover said.

    When he got to the scene, Glover was stopped at a barricade near Walgreens. He said a Bannock County deputy inspected the store and reported no damage to the building.

    Glover said the incident did not affect business Friday.

    “We want to extend our deepest condolence to everyone involved, and we want people to feel safe in the store,” Glover said.