Wallace, Idaho began Friday like any other quiet day, then descended into terror as gunfire ripped through the heart of the historic town.
In a place where everyone knows everyone, bullets tore across public streets, inside government buildings and near local shops, sending residents scrambling for cover and leaving a nation stunned that such violence could erupt in a community of fewer than 800 people.
Gunfire Breaks Out
The violence erupted shortly before mid-afternoon when a gunman opened fire outside the Shoshone County Sheriff's Office in Wallace. Sheriff William Eddy said the suspect first fired at a pickup truck on the street, striking two women in the legs.
The attack escalated within moments. The gunman then entered the lobby of the sheriff's office and began firing toward the dispatch area, transforming a place of public safety into the centre of the unfolding crisis.
Witnesses described scenes of sheer panic as people ran for their lives while shots echoed through the town centre. Authorities said the suspect was armed with several guns and unleashed what witnesses later described as a relentless barrage of gunfire, shattering any sense of normality.
Streets and Shops Caught in the Crossfire
The danger did not remain confined to the sheriff's office. Bullets tore across public streets and into nearby buildings, including Ace's Hardware, where a round reportedly smashed through a window.
Inside the shop, customers and staff fled to the basement as gunfire rang out nearby, uncertain if the next shot would strike where they were hiding.
Residents said the moment felt unreal. Wallace is known for its preserved historic buildings and slow, quiet pace, not for lockdowns and running for cover. The spread of violence from civic buildings into everyday businesses deepened fears that nowhere in the town was safe.
Authorities confirmed that people inside the courthouse were evacuated as the situation unfolded, but the shooter continued moving through the town centre, turning familiar streets into scenes of chaos and fear.
Sharing an update from Kootenai County Sheriff Office: Shoshone County, Idaho — On December 26, 2025, at approximately 2:40 p.m., law enforcement responded to reports of an active shooter at the...
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....
Massive Police Response and Deadly Standoff
Law enforcement agencies from across the region rushed to Wallace after reports of an active shooter. A SWAT team and multiple agencies arrived at around 2:40 pm local time as officers attempted to contain the threat.
An officer involved shooting followed after a standoff, and the suspect was pronounced dead at 4:15 pm, officials said. The gunman was later identified as John Drake, believed to be around 77 years old, according to Shoshone County Sheriff's Office Captain Seth Green.
Three people were injured during the attack. Two women in the pickup truck were shot in the leg, while an officer initially reported as wounded was later confirmed to have been injured by flying glass rather than a bullet. Authorities said all injuries were considered minor, a fact many described as miraculous given the scale of the violence.
No motive has yet been confirmed, leaving many questions unanswered as investigators piece together the final movements and intentions of the shooter.
A Small Town Left Shaken
Wallace sits in Idaho's Panhandle near the Montana border and serves as the county seat of Shoshone County. It is a place where courthouses and sheriff's offices symbolise stability and order. That those institutions became ground zero for fear has left residents deeply shaken.
Governor Brad Little urged people to keep the victims in their prayers and praised law enforcement for their rapid response. He said Idaho was grateful to the officers who ran toward danger to protect the community.
