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Idaho mystery sniper kills two, then self in church

A sniper sprayed dozens of bullets on a courthouse, killing a police officer and wounding a sheriff's deputy and a civilian, then apparently killed a caretaker and himself in a nearby church, police said.

Investigators believe the shooter deliberately fired into an emergency dispatch center inside the Latah County Courthouse late on Saturday to lure people into the line of fire. The officer was killed as he rushed to the courthouse, and the deputy helped pull the officer out of the way before being shot, David Duke, Moscow's assistant police chief, said on Sunday.

Shortly after 6am, three police commando units entered the First Presbyterian Church and found the bodies of the shooter and another man, Duke said. An assault rifle, ammunition and spent shells were found next to the gunman's corpse, he said.

The shooter died of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Duke said. His body was found in the sanctuary, and the body of another man was found in the church office. The second man also dead of gunshot wounds, Duke said.

Authorities did not release either man's name, but the church's pastor, Reverend Norman Fowler, identified the victim inside the church as Paul Bauer, a sexton believed to be in his 60s who lived at the church.

Police said the gunman started shooting from a parking lot across from the courthouse shortly after 11pm. A hail of more than 30 bullets ripped through the county's dispatch center, Duke said.

"The shooter ... wanted to draw people to the courthouse," Duke said. "When officers responded, he did open fire on them."

Police had no information about the gunman's motive.
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