TACOMA, Wash. — A beloved bagel shop in Tacoma is set to reopen just over one month after a co-owner was shot and killed.
Jacob Carter was shot while on vacation in New Orleans with his husband on Jan. 5.
"I am still reeling with grief, confusion, and a vast array of emotions I didn’t know I was capable of feeling. I have lost the best part of my life - my partner in life and in business. Sweet Jacob was my absolute everything," Howdy Bagel co-owner and Carter's husband, Daniel Blagovich, wrote in an Instagram post.
Carter was found shot near Bourbon Street and Kerlerec Street in the Marigny neighborhood at about 1:30 a.m. and died at the scene. On. Jan. 12, a 16-year-old was arrested by the New Orleans Police Department on second-degree murder charges. Officials say a stolen Kia was involved in the homicide and found dumped in a bayou days later.
After news of Carter's death, the bagel shop received an outpouring of support from the community. People created a vigil outside the bagel shop, donated through a GoFundMe and nearby restaurants held a fundraiser where they donated a portion of their proceeds to Howdy Bagel.
The GoFundMe reached over $300,000 in donations.
Howdy Bagel was opened in 2020 by Carter and Blagovich. The two began making bagels during the pandemic, spending over a year perfecting the recipe, KING 5 previously reported.
Carter, who is from Texas, previously told KING 5 Evening that the name “Howdy” holds special meaning to the local shop.
"It kind of invokes this sense of warmth and bringing people together, bringing people in and I think we are trying to foster a place of inclusiveness to everyone," Carter told KING 5 in July 2023.
According to the Monday Instagram post from Howdy Bagel, they will operate on new hours starting Wednesday. The shop will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.