Associated Press
SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — A shooting and subsequent firefight with responding officers left three people dead, including the suspect, and two deputies critically wounded in eastern Washington state Tuesday.
Deputies responded to a home in Spokane County, which borders Idaho, around 2:30 p.m. after a woman told her neighbor that she had been shot by her brother, Sheriff John Nowels said during a news conference.
Authorities determined that the suspect had an active felony warrant and there may be other victims, according to the sheriff’s office.
“SWAT team members and deputies approached the house, attempted to breach the door and were met with gunfire,” he said.
Other deputies returned fire and worked to move the wounded members of the SWAT team to safety, according to officials.
One person was found dead in the home, while another was in the yard, he said. The suspect is also dead. Neither the names of the victims nor the suspect have been released.
Authorities are investigating the shooting and what may have caused it.
Both deputies, who Nowels described as young members of the SWAT team, were taken to the hospital, along with the woman who said she was shot by her brother. She has non-life threatening injuries, he said.
“It’s a very tragic day in Spokane County. A lot of families have been affected,” he said. “Both of our deputies, fighting for their lives. Both have very young families. Both have two very young children each. I would ask that we respect their privacy while they’re up in the hospital and that we’re able to give them the time with their loved ones.”
