Spokane police are handling the homicide inquiry while Washington State Patrol reviews the law-enforcement exchange of gunfire.
SPANGLE, Wash. — Separate investigations were underway Wednesday into a shooting that left three people dead and two Spokane County sheriff’s deputies critically wounded after officers trying to reach possible victims came under fire at a rural home south of Spokane.
The investigation is unfolding across multiple agencies because the Nov. 3 confrontation involved both civilian deaths and deputies who fired their weapons. The Spokane Police Department is leading the homicide investigation, while the Washington State Patrol is handling the independent review related to the law-enforcement shooting. Three Spokane County deputies who fired during the confrontation were placed on administrative leave.
The incident started at about 2:25 p.m. Tuesday when deputies were dispatched to the 18700 block of South Smythe Road for a reported domestic violence shooting. An adult woman had reported being shot and sought help, authorities said. Sheriff John Nowels later said the woman told a neighbor that her brother had shot her. She was taken to a hospital with injuries that officials described as not life-threatening.
Deputies learned that the suspected shooter had an active felony warrant and might have access to additional weapons, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities also feared other people at the residence could be injured. The Spokane County SWAT team was called as deputies gathered information and worked to determine whether an immediate rescue was necessary.
A drone used during the response revealed a person in the yard, Nowels said. That person was later determined to be dead. With another potential victim believed to be inside the home, SWAT members and deputies moved toward the residence at about 3:15 p.m. to make what the sheriff’s office described as an emergency entry intended to reach people who might need help.
Shots were fired from inside the residence as the team approached, critically wounding two deputies, authorities said. Other deputies returned fire and pulled the wounded officers toward cover while providing medical aid. Life Flight helicopters were requested, and authorities temporarily closed parts of U.S. 195 and Interstate 90 to speed the emergency response and transportation of the wounded.
The Spokane Police Department’s SWAT team was then brought in to take control of the active scene. A SWAT team from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office in neighboring Idaho also assisted. Spokane County deputies were relieved from the property after two members of their agency had been critically injured in the gunfire.
Authorities eventually found three people dead in connection with the incident: the suspected gunman, a person found outside in the yard and another person found inside the residence. Officials have not released their names. Investigators also had not publicly determined Wednesday exactly how the suspect died or provided findings linking particular shots to each death.
The division of investigative responsibilities is intended to separate the examination of the deaths and the original reported shooting from the review of gunfire involving law enforcement. Officials have released only limited information about the sequence of shots, and the investigation had not produced a public conclusion about the actions of any deputy involved.
The two wounded deputies were described by Nowels as young members of the SWAT team. He said both have young families. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown issued a statement Wednesday expressing support for the sheriff’s office and the deputies’ families, but authorities had not announced an updated medical condition for either deputy by Wednesday afternoon.
Several central questions remained unresolved, including what led to the initial shooting, what happened inside the residence before officers arrived and how each of the three people died. Authorities also had not released the identities of the dead or the wounded deputies. Both investigations were continuing Wednesday as the deputies remained hospitalized in critical condition.
Author note: Last updated November 4, 2026.