Active shooter reported at Idaho sheriff’s office as police tell locals to stay away from area
Authorities have confirmed there is an active shooter at a sheriff’s office in northern Idaho.
Law enforcement has responded to the Friday afternoon shooting at the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office in Wallace, according to the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, which is just across the border in Montana.
‘The online reports of an active shooter at the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office in Wallace, Idaho are accurate. We are sending reinforcement to help our neighbor. Please pray for all law enforcement,’ said the sheriff’s office in an social media announcement. ‘And stay out of the downtown area in Wallace if possible!’
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office told KREM2 that it has sent SWAT units to the scene.
It is unclear who the shooter is or why the sheriff’s office was targeted. The county courthouse and the jail are in the same building.
The Idaho Transportation Department said Exit 62, which leads into and out of Wallace via I-90, has been closed.
Julie Swindell-Ward has posted a series of videos to Facebook showing the heavy police presence outside the sheriff’s office.
‘There are sheriffs everywhere. Long guns out, handguns out, I’ve already heard multiple shots fired,’ she said in one video. ‘Pray for safety for those officers.’
Pictured: The Shoshone County Courthouse in Wallace, Idaho. The sheriff’s office is part of the same building
Swindell-Ward said she was grocery shopping when she heard the shots. She quickly retreated to her car to watch from a distance.
As of 4:30pm local time, there were still local police officers and state troopers outside the courthouse, according to Swindell-Ward’s latest post.
The Daily Mail has approached authorities in Mineral County and Shoshone County. The police departments in both counties declined to share further information at this time.
As of 2024, Wallace had a population of 823. It was founded in 1884 and was named William R. Wallace, a local farmer at the time. The town boomed when silver deposits were found, which gave way to it becoming a mining colony for decades.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
