By The Associated Press
EDITOR’S NOTE — The Omak-Okanogan Chronicle newspaper has been following this story closely. Here’s a link to its latest story — http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n110826b.shtml
OKANOGAN — Two women who were killed and one who was wounded during a shooting that appears to be a murder-suicide were identified today (Friday) by authorities.
Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said those killed were Rene Menard, 39, and Shelly L. Payten. 32. Wounded was Catrina M. Fling, 39, who was flown to a Spokane hospital.
Payten and Menard were living together at the home and involved in some sort of long-term dispute, Rogers said.
Payten arrived at the home around 5 p.m. Thursday and got into an argument with Menard, he said.
Payten went to her vehicle, grabbed a pistol, and returned inside just as Fling was dialing 911, Rogers said.
Payten shot Fling in the abdomen, wounding her, the sheriff said.
Payten then got into a struggle with Menard before firing the weapon again, Rogers said.
“The scene indicates that Menard was holding on to Payten from behind and the single shot went through both subjects,” Rogers said. Menard was pronounced dead at the scene and Payten later died at the hospital.
Rogers said law officers have no motive for the shootings.
“We do know they were arguing, but we don’t know over what,” Rogers said of the women.
Payten left two suicide notes, he said. He declined to reveal the contents.
Neighbors said Payten has a teenage son who was not home at the time of the shootings.
Fling was airlifted to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, where the hospital said Friday she was in satisfactory condition.
The sheriff’s office said detectives also are investigating a confrontation at the McDonald’s restaurant in nearby Omak, Wash.
Payten walked into the restaurant around 2 p.m. Thursday, pulled out a pistol, and stuck it in the chest of a woman eating with her children, Rogers said.
She pulled the trigger, but the weapon was not loaded, he said. Witnesses told authorities that Payten stated the next time there would be bullets in the gun.
Detectives were studying security tapes from the McDonald’s and are looking for the woman involved.
