EXCLUSIVE: Shooting suspect’s family gives insight into Idaho Falls SWAT standoff

IDAHO FALLS (KIFI) - An Idaho Falls man allegedly entered a home and shot two people Saturday night, killing one, before engaging in an hours-long standoff with police.

Local News 8 was first on-scene to both the shooting and the standoff.

It was a long night for Idaho Falls Police, who spent over six hours at two crime scenes. But they’ve done it before. The shooting, at the intersection of 4th St. and S. Lee Ave., was the third on that block in six months.

Sue Throckmorton is a gas station clerk who lives one street over from the shooting.

“We saw the lights and everything going,” she recalled. “And it’s just, here we go again.”

She’s afraid to walk her dog around the neighborhood, she said, or even grab things from her car.

“There’s been quite a few shootings over there in that area, and it’s concerning for the people that live there,” she said.

Police were alerted to the shooting just before 9 p.m. Saturday.

“Our dispatch center received a call reporting that there was a burglary in progress,” Idaho Falls Police spokesperson Jessica Clements said.

Police believe 23-year-old Lance Broncho was the one who entered the house in question.

In April 2021, Broncho was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for stabbing and carjacking a man in Fort Hall. In November, he was arrested in Idaho Falls after allegedly beating a man with a baseball bat.

Local News 8 asked Clements if Broncho knew the shooting victims.

“That’s a question that I’m sure a lot of people have,” she said, “and it’s something that we are looking into as well. But it’s just not information I have available quite yet.”

While Local News 8 was interviewing Throckmorton, Broncho’s aunt, Brandi Johnson, entered the gas station by pure chance. She agreed to relay what the family had heard.

Johnson said the victims were total strangers to Broncho. However, she said he also entered the house with a woman. Both were allegedly under the influence.

“They didn’t realize where they were,” Johnson said, “but they didn’t stop, either. Because [one of the victims] shot one shot next to him, they popped off. They’re young cats, dude. They were beyond wasted. They were pretty messed up.”

“Still in somebody else’s house,” Throckmorton interjected.

“And the people told them to stop and they didn’t,” Johnson added. “Shots got fired both ways.”

An officer responding to the shooting told Local News 8 they arrived on-scene around 9:15 p.m.

"Two people had been shot inside the residence,” Clements said.

One of those people later died.

Police did not find Broncho at the house. However, he had also been shot.

“The cops are saying it’s two gunshots, but not life-threatening,” Johnson said. “But he is in the hospital right now, and he will be going from the hospital to jail.”

Broncho had allegedly fled one mile away to the Teton Mesa Apartments on Lomax St. Police tracked him down around 11 p.m.

"And our officers engaged with Mr. Broncho there,” Clements said.

Local News 8 asked Clements to explain what “engaged with him” meant.

“We were able to contact him by phone and indicated that he needed to come out and meet with officers,” she explained, “and he ultimately refused to do so."

Johnson believes Broncho barricaded himself inside a top-floor apartment because he had outstanding warrants.

“He was staying somewhere over there or whatever,” she said. “He’s on the run, so he’s not staying anywhere.”

"From there, the Idaho Falls Police Department activated our SWAT team,” Clements said.

SWAT spent two hours surrounding the apartment and observing it with two drones. They released tear gas into the apartment around 1 a.m.

“And he ultimately surrendered and came out and was taken into custody by police officers,” Clements added.

Broncho, however, was not alone in the apartment.

“There was another person that was present at that point,” Clements said. “That person was a woman, a Blanca Lopez."

“She was present on scene at the time and ultimately had warrants,” she continued. “And so she tried to evade officers.”

Police don’t know if Lopez is the woman who was allegedly present at the shooting. But they finally arrested her at 3 a.m., finally ending a long and violent night.

Both Broncho and Lopez are in custody on their existing warrants. Clements expects Broncho will be charged in connection with the killing.

Johnson said she talked to Broncho’s mother and gave her a very simple message.

“Look, your son’s an idiot, dude,” she said.