Police probe rural shooting incident
Gunplay erupted near Canyon, Payette County border

By Larry Hurrle
Argus Observer
Tuesday, September 9, 2008 11:45 AM PDT

Parma—One person is dead and another injured after a shooting at a home along the Payette and Canyon county line Monday.

Police are trying to track down three individuals for questioning after the deadly shooting just southeast of Anderson Corner.

Idaho State Police and Payette County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene of the shooting around 6:30 a.m. at a home near the corner of First Lane East and Locker Avenue in southern Payette County.

Six people were in the home at the time of the shooting, two of them children. When police arrived on the scene they found one man dead from a gunshot wound and another injured. The injured man was flown by Lifeflight helicopter to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.

Officers were informed three armed intruders entered the home through an open window and a gun battle ensued. The intruders were identified as wearing dark-colored clothing and bandannas around their faces. All three men left the scene in an unknown vehicle.

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The shooting took place inside the residence around 6 a.m.

The man killed in the shootout was initially identified as Rolando Lizarraga, while the injured man was identified as Alabaro Martinez. It was later determined the identifications were incorrect, and authorities are now attempting to make positive identification on both men. The injured man was listed as critical when he was flown to Boise. No update on his condition was available.

Two Payette County Sheriff’s Office deputies and two Canyon County Sheriff’s Office deputies were initially dispatched to the scene.

One adult male, one adult female and two children were transported from the scene and taken to the Payette County Sheriff’s Office for interviews. It was determined at that time the male was Edgar Lizarraga, who had an active warrant out of Canyon County. Payette County also obtained a material witness warrant for Edgar Lizarraga.

Idaho State Police were dispatched to the scene, as well as a local Major Crimes Task Force comprised of Fruitland and Payette city police, the Payette County Sheriff’s Office and the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, along with other support agencies. Idaho State Police is the primary investigating agency in the shooting.

ISP said the investigation to the shooting is continuing and is asking anyone with information to please contact the Payette County Sheriff’s Office at (208) 642-6006 (Ext. 2).

The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office said deputies are attempting to find three Hispanic males, one of them possibly armed with a shotgun, in connection to the shooting. The suspects left the scene along a canal road in an area used mostly for grazing cattle and other livestock.

Officials said the area where the shooting took place is one of rolling hills and small ravines and gullies. They said it is an extensive area to search and believe it could take several days to cover the entire area for evidence.