A suspect opened fire outside the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office in Idaho on Friday afternoon, shooting an officer in the ear and injuring two women before being killed by law enforcement.
Shoshone County Sheriff William Eddy said the officer was shot in the ear, whilst two women who were sitting in a pickup truck were hurt during the exchange of gunfire. All three suffered minor injuries, Eddy said.
Authorities said “there is no ongoing danger to the community” after the suspect was killed.
Several law enforcement agencies responded to the scene after the shooting was reported around 2:40 p.m. Eastern time. Less than two hours later, the sheriff’s office announced the suspect had been “neutralised.”
Despite reports circulating on social media, the sheriff’s office said the suspect has not been publicly identified.
Eddy said there were people housed in the jail at the time of the shooting, adding that they remain in the jail and were not evacuated during the incident.
Multiple gunshots struck a nearby building supply store, according to a social media post from the business. Building Maintenance & Supply said the shop was hit four times.
“All of our employees are safe and home. Our building was shot four times, two bullet holes on the front counter,” the business posted. “Thank you to all law enforcement who responded to keep our community safe! Our front door is inoperable so please enter through the back door tomorrow!”
The Mineral County Sheriff’s Office said online reports of an active shooter were accurate and that it sent reinforcement to assist neighbouring Shoshone County.
“Please pray for all law enforcement,” the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook. “And stay out of the downtown area in Wallace if possible.”
The investigation remains active.
The location of the shooting, directly outside the sheriff’s office itself, represents an extraordinary escalation. Most people avoid confronting law enforcement at their own headquarters where officers are concentrated and armed. Attacking a sheriff’s office suggests either extreme desperation, mental health crisis, or a specific grievance against law enforcement.
The officer being shot in the ear indicates the suspect was firing with deadly intent but perhaps not deadly accuracy. An ear wound, whilst painful and likely causing significant bleeding, missed the officer’s head by inches. A slightly different angle would have resulted in a fatal headshot.
The two women sitting in a pickup truck being injured raises questions about whether they were caught in crossfire, deliberately targeted, or struck by ricochets or fragments. Their presence in a vehicle near an active shooting scene suggests they may have been parked at the sheriff’s office when gunfire erupted, giving them no time to flee.
The less-than-two-hour timeline from initial shots fired to the suspect being “neutralised” indicates a sustained incident rather than a brief exchange. The suspect either barricaded himself, engaged in an extended shootout, or fled before being cornered.
The sheriff’s decision to keep people housed in the jail rather than evacuating them demonstrates confidence that the building’s security could protect inmates from the gunfire outside. Evacuating prisoners during an active shooter situation creates risks of escape or exposing inmates to danger.
The building supply store being struck four times, including two bullets hitting the front counter, shows how indiscriminate gunfire endangered the entire downtown area. Bullets don’t stop at property lines. Every round fired in a populated area threatens lives beyond the intended target.
The business posting gratitude to law enforcement whilst announcing they’ll open tomorrow through the back door because the front door is inoperable captures the resilience of small-town businesses. Four bullet holes in your building on Friday, open for business on Saturday.
The Mineral County Sheriff’s Office calling for prayers and warning people to stay out of downtown Wallace whilst the incident was ongoing shows how regional law enforcement agencies support each other in rural Idaho. When a neighbouring county faces an emergency, you send help and manage spillover concerns in your own jurisdiction.
The suspect not being publicly identified yet could mean several things: notification of next of kin hasn’t been completed, the identity is still being confirmed, or authorities are withholding the name as part of the ongoing investigation.
