A shooter and an escaped inmate, believed to be involved in two homicides, were apprehended in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Thursday following an intense manhunt. The two individuals, identified as Nicholas Umphenour and Skylar Meade, are reported members of a white supremacist gang.
The escape occurred when Meade managed to flee from a medical facility in Boise early Wednesday morning. Umphenour allegedly fired at corrections officers who were escorting Meade back to prison, prompting a massive search effort.
Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar announced the successful arrests during a press conference on Thursday afternoon. The suspects were located in the Twin Falls area around 2 p.m., and after a brief vehicle pursuit, they were taken into custody separately without any shots being fired.
Authorities are investigating two recent homicides that may be connected to the suspects. The victims, both adult males, were found in rural Idaho, and the suspects were traveling in a Honda Civic reported to belong to one of the deceased individuals.
Director of the Idaho Department of Correction, Josh Tewalt, revealed that both Umphenour and Meade had ties to the Aryan Knights white supremacist gang. The two men had previously resided in the same housing unit at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution and shared mutual acquaintances, both in and out of custody.
Despite their gang affiliation, Tewalt emphasized that the escape was not necessarily sanctioned by the Aryan Knights. The Department of Correction actively monitors gang activity within its facilities to prevent associated criminal behavior.
Prior to the escape, Meade had exhibited self-harming behavior prompting a transfer for medical care. Umphenour’s attack on corrections officers occurred at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in the early hours of Wednesday, resulting in injuries to several individuals, including a corrections officer shot by responding Boise police.
While one injured corrections officer has been discharged from the hospital, two others remain hospitalized but are in stable condition and showing signs of improvement, according to Tewalt. The incident has been described as a challenging experience for the corrections community, but the capture of the suspects has lifted spirits.
The successful resolution of the manhunt in Idaho has brought relief to the community and law enforcement officials, signaling the end of a tense search for the individuals involved in the escape and related violent incidents.
