Three dead, three wounded in Idaho, USA shooting

May 20, 2007

Three people, including a police officer, were killed and three others were wounded Sunday morning after a sniper gunman opened fire outside the Latah County courthouse in Moscow, Idaho in the United States. The gunman, Jason Hamilton of Moscow, was believed to have fired about 125 shots from outside the courthouse. Police then cornered the gunman inside a nearby church, where he fired another 60-70 shots before killing himself. Streets in about a six block area were closed off and barricaded.

The incident started when 30 shots were fired into the sheriff's dispatch center, adjacent to the courthouse, late Saturday night. Police believe the gunman did not have a specific target in mind, and that the victims were shot with one of the two semi-automatic rifles found at the scene. The shooting was believed to be ambush-style, and that the gunman was attempting to bring people outside the courthouse, into his line of fire.

In the subsequent investigation, the shooter's 30 year old wife, Crystal Hamilton, was found dead in their home, bringing the death toll to four, including the gunman. Her cause of death was described as a gunshot to the head.