The Tacoma, Washington, community is mourning the loss of Howdy Bagel co-founder Jacob Carter. News of the tragic death was posted on the company's official Instagram account. Since then, supporters of the restaurant have been raising money to help his family through this difficult time. Many also resorted to the Internet to share messages from the tributaries.
Howdy Bagel took to their Instagram account today to share the sad news. They revealed that Jacob Carter “was killed on January 5th in New Orleans while on vacation with his husband, Daniel.”
Jacob Carter and his husband, Daniel Blagojevich, started Howdy Bagel in 2020 after they both faced layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a simple home-bread delivery service for family and friends, has expanded into one of the most popular restaurants in Tacoma.
Speaking about Carter's character, Howdy Bagel had the following post:
“If you knew Jake, you know that he was a person who radiated kindness, warmth, and genuine care for everyone he met. Jake was one of the brightest spots in the lives of everyone he loved.
The cause of death had not been announced at the time of writing this article.
Community members have since taken to GoFundMe to help Howdy Bagel employees and the Carter family during this devastating time.
GoFundMe raises more than $100,000 after Jacob Carter's death
Stevie Hamill and Scout McLaughlin created a GoFundMe fundraiser to support Daniel Blagojevich and Howdy Bagel to raise money for the beloved restaurant. They revealed their desire to raise money to ensure logistics are taken care of while Blagojevich mourns the unexpected loss.
They revealed that the donations will cover staff wages, store costs, shot rental and other operating expenses.
The GoFundMe also added:
“The store will be temporarily closed as we all go through this time of grief. Daniel and Jacob have been continually amazed and grateful for the ways this community has come together to support Howdy Bagel. We know that in this difficult season, you will all continue to show up with love and support.”
At the time of writing, the fundraiser was aiming to raise $50,000. However, they raised more than $116,033. The highest donation of $5,000 was made by an anonymous donor.
As the fundraiser aims to support Howdy Bagel's family, others have taken to the Internet to share their condolences with grieving family members and friends. Read some comments online:
Reddit user u/FirelTGy took to the r/Tacoma subreddit to claim that Jacob Carter's death was an active homicide investigation. They continued to attach the supervisor's major crime document and claimed that someone likely approached Carter, shot him, and fled the scene.
It is worth noting that the same has not been confirmed by law enforcement authorities. The official recording did not mention Carter as the victim.
