Garden City shooting leads to SWAT serving warrants in Boise. Four men are in custody

Four Boise men have been arrested in connection with a Garden City shooting that left a teenager injured, as well as recent burglaries.

The shooting occurred outside Westy’s Garden Lanes in the 5500 block of Alworth Street at about 11:32 p.m. Saturday, according to a Garden City Police Department news release. Officers found a 17-year-old girl had been “struck by gunfire” in the parking lot; she had non-life-threatening injuries and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where she was treated and released.

On Tuesday, Boise police arrested Kalehe Byiringiro, 20, Isiak Hatwibu, 21, and Sefu Idi, 23, in the shooting incident and recent burglaries. Samuel Nsanzamahoro, 19, was arrested on suspicion of burglary related to the shooting.

Warrants were served at three different Boise residences, and at one home a SWAT team used flash-bang devices.

The suspects were arraigned Wednesday, and all except Hatwibu used a Kinyarwanda interpreter — a Bantu language that’s spoken in Rwanda.

Deputy Ada County Prosecutor Michael Guy said the defendants showed up late to a birthday celebration attended by several teenagers and young adults at the bowling alley Saturday. Surveillance video showed two females approaching Byiringiro and asking him to leave, and then approaching another male, who walked over to Byiringiro, he said.

There appeared to be a disagreement, and the male pulled out a gun and pointed it at Byiringiro. Police did not name this male as being among those facing charges.

Others began to separate the two parties and Byiringiro moved away, pulled out a gun and positioned himself near a parked vehicle, Guy said in court. At that time, Hatwibu obtained a gun from Idi and went directly toward the dispute, according to police.

Byiringiro fired a round at the unidentified male that missed him and struck the teenage girl, authorities said.

Law enforcement said the male started to run away and Byiringiro “likely fire(d) the second shot” in his direction. Guy said police also believe Hatwibu fired a gun, though no muzzle flashes were seen from his gun in the video.

Byiringiro fled the scene before police arrived, and Guy said he later admitted to firing a gun.

“(Byiringiro’s) actions were retaliatory (and) put many at risk of death or great bodily harm,” Guy said in court.

The two weapons used were .380-caliber handguns that police believe were stolen in recent car burglaries.

Byiringiro faces felony charges of aggravated assault, enhancement for use of a deadly weapon in commission of a felony, burglary and aggravated battery, according to court records. Hatwibu faces felony charges of aggravated assault, enhancement for use of a deadly weapon in commission of a felony, burglary and grand theft by receiving, possessing or disposing of stolen property.

Both also face a misdemeanor charge of petit theft, according to court records.

Idi faces felony charges of aggravated assault and burglary, according to court records, and Nsanzamahoro has a felony burglary charge.

Police from Boise, Meridian and Garden City arrested the suspects after serving warrants Tuesday at Boise homes on West Evening Star Lane, Pembrooke Drive and West Glen Ellyn Court, according to a Boise Police Department news release. Nearby residents were notified about the situations through the Code Red Emergency Alert system.

“Due to the suspects’ history of violence and access to firearms, BPD’s and ACSO’s Special Operations Unit or SWAT team were activated to ensure the safest solution possible,” the news release said, referencing the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.

Officers called for those inside the homes to come out “multiple times using phones and a loudspeaker,” according to Boise police, who had members of BPD’s Negotiations Team and interpreters on hand.

The department said that after officers did not receive any response from inside the West Glen Ellyn Court home, “they used a distraction device that causes a loud noise and flash to make sure anyone asleep or not responding otherwise received an additional auditory alert that officers were present.”

Police used a robot and an unmanned aerial device to make first entry into the homes and search them. No suspects were found at the West Glen Ellyn Court site, but other individuals came outside prior to officers or the devices entering, police said.

A preliminary hearing for Byiringiro has been scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on May 25 at the Ada County Courthouse. The other three men have a hearing set for 8:30 a.m. on May 30.