Three people suffered minor injuries, including a law enforcement officer, after a man opened fire at the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office in northern Idaho, authorities said.
Sheriff William Eddy told reporters at a Friday night press conference that the suspected gunman first began shooting on the street outside the sheriff’s office in Wallace, the county seat of Shoshone County. The suspect was later shot and killed by officers, Eddy said.
Two women were injured in a vehicle, deputy was hurt inside the building
Eddy said two women sitting in a vehicle were shot in the leg and suffered minor injuries. Officials also said a deputy was injured during the incident; later reporting based on law enforcement briefings described the officer’s injury as a gunshot wound to the ear.
Authorities have not released additional medical details about the victims beyond describing the injuries as minor.
Reports of a barricade and SWAT response
As the situation unfolded on Friday, early reports indicated the suspect was barricaded inside the building and that a SWAT response had been deployed. Multiple agencies converged on the area as the sheriff’s office and surrounding downtown blocks were secured.
Officials later said the immediate threat had been neutralized, though authorities asked the public to continue avoiding the area while investigators worked the scene.
Suspect fatally shot by officers, officials say
At the Friday night briefing, Eddy said officers shot and killed the suspected gunman. Authorities have not detailed exactly how long the standoff lasted or what led up to the fatal shooting, and they have not described a motive.
In an update published after the incident, Idaho News 6 reported that the sheriff’s office identified the suspect as 77-year-old John Drake, describing him as a local resident. Officials have not released further background information.
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Wallace is a city of about 1,000 people in Idaho’s northern panhandle. The sheriff’s office building serves as a hub for law enforcement functions in the county and, in some reporting, is described as part of a broader county services complex.
The incident prompted immediate regional assistance. The Mineral County Sheriff’s Office in neighboring Montana said it was sending reinforcements to help, describing the situation as an active shooter incident and urging people to stay away from downtown Wallace.
What investigators are handling next
Authorities have said the investigation remains ongoing. Reporting on the incident indicated the case involves both a criminal investigation into the shooting itself and a separate review of the officer-involved shooting that killed the suspect, as is typical in such cases.
Officials have not announced whether any additional charges could be filed related to the suspect’s actions, and they have not released information about the firearm used.
What authorities have not said
Key details remain limited, including why the suspect targeted the sheriff’s office, whether he had a prior connection to any of the victims or the agency, and the sequence of events inside the building.
Investigators have also not said whether any body-worn camera footage exists or when additional public information might be released.
Sources:
KIVI Idaho News 6 (Scripps) – “Gunman identified in Wallace shooting that injured three people”
