WALLACE, Idaho — A Shoshone County sheriff’s captain praised his deputies’ response to Friday’s deadly Wallace shooting, saying “I’ve never been more proud,” while asking the community for continued support.
Captain Seth Green, who served as incident commander during the crisis, commended his team after law enforcement killed 77-year-old John Drake of Mullan, Idaho.
SCSO says Drake opened fire on a truck at 2:30 p.m., shooting and injuring two women outside the sheriff’s office. He then barricaded himself inside the building before being killed in a shootout around 4:15 p.m.
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“I’ve never been more proud of them,” Green said. “It’s tough to, after an event like this, to go put yourself out there again in the line of danger. But my deputies do that time and time again and this one just happens to be more visible.”
The motive behind the shooting remains unknown as investigators continue their work.
On Friday, Shoshone Sheriff William Eddy confirmed two women were shot and injured while sitting in a truck outside the sheriff’s office. Both women are expected to be okay. Initially, Sheriff Eddy indicated a deputy was among those shot, but Green corrected that information today.
Drake used several guns during the attack, though SCSO will not say how many weapons or what types were involved.
According to Green, multiple Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office deputies fired their weapons at the gunman during the incident. Officials have not disclosed how many officers fired or which specific officers were involved, saying that information will come later in the investigation.
On Saturday, the sheriff’s office bears the scars of Friday’s chaos. SEE HERE. Bullet holes and shattered glass mark the building where the standoff occurred. The office will remain closed to the public for an extended period.
Drake lived in Mullan, just 10 minutes from Wallace, making him a local resident of Shoshone County.
“He is a local here in Shoshone County, about 77 years old,” said Captain Seth Green of the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office.
“At this point, I’m not going to speculate as to motives,” Green said when asked about what drove Drake to open fire.
Law enforcement from nearby areas and neighboring states joined forces to handle the situation Friday evening. The response drew officers from multiple jurisdictions to assist Shoshone County deputies.
Despite the traumatic event, deputies returned to duty today. The community has rallied behind the sheriff’s office during this difficult time.
“And we’re going to need the support going forward,” Green said.
Local resident Mallorie Flynn expressed confidence in law enforcement’s response.
“I don’t really feel scared, though, because I know that everybody did what they needed to do to like, restore order,” Flynn said.
Green emphasized that Friday’s violence does not represent the majority of Shoshone County residents.
“This is an event that we wish we could have avoided. But we’re going to take it in stride and do what we’ve done on the regular,” he said.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office will handle the investigation. Officials said Monday will be the earliest any additional information is released to the public.
