| 2007 Moscow, Idaho, shooting | |
|---|---|
| Location | Moscow, Idaho, US |
| Date | May 19–20, 2007 11:22 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. |
Attack type | Mass shooting, mass murder, murder-suicide |
| Weapons |
|
| Deaths | 4 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 3 |
| Perpetrator | Jason Hamilton |
The 2007 Moscow, Idaho, shooting was an ambush and sniper attack that occurred on the night of May 19, 2007 in Moscow, Idaho, United States, and lasted into the early morning hours of May 20. The shooter, 36-year-old Jason Hamilton, killed three people and wounded three others before taking his own life.[2][3][4][5]
It is tied with the 2021 Boise Towne Square shooting and the 2022 University of Idaho murders (that also occurred in Moscow) as the worst mass murder in Idaho’s history.
Shooting
The attack began at around 10 p.m. at Hamilton's home, where he shot and killed his wife, Crystal Hamilton, 30.[6]
At approximately 11:22 p.m., Hamilton drove to the Latah County Courthouse and fired approximately 75 to 125 rounds from an AK-47 automatic rifle and a Springfield Armory M1A semi-automatic rifle into the emergency dispatch center. Investigators believe this was a deliberate tactic to lure first responders into an ambush. Officer Lee Newbill was the first to arrive on the scene and was fatally shot. He was the first Moscow police officer killed in the line of duty since the city's incorporation in 1899.[7][8][9]
Hamilton then retreated into the First Presbyterian Church across the street. Inside, he killed the church's caretaker, Paul Bauer, 62.[10]
At approximately 1:00 a.m. on May 20, a final shot was heard from within the church. SWAT teams entered at roughly 6:00 AM and found Hamilton dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.[11][12]
After the shooting, police later discovered a shotgun, a .22-caliber rifle and a .22-caliber handgun at his home.
Victims
Deceased:
- Crystal Hamilton (30): The shooter's wife.
- Lee Newbill (48): Moscow Police Officer.
- Paul Bauer (62): First Presbyterian Church caretaker.
Injured:
- Brannon Jordan: Latah County Sheriff's Deputy, shot while attempting to rescue Officer Newbill.
- Pete Husmann: A 20-year-old University of Idaho student who heard the shots and rushed toward the courthouse to help.
- Bill Shields: A second Moscow police officer who sustained minor injuries from bullet fragments.
See also
- 2025 Coeur d'Alene shooting, another ambush attack which happened in Idaho
- List of mass shootings in the United States (2000–2009)
- 2022 University of Idaho murders, a mass murder which happened in Moscow
References
- Riley, John K. "Suspect was to give up guns". heraldnet.com. Retrieved May 23, 2007.
- "Moscow Police deal with second shooting spree in a decade". ktvb.com. January 11, 2015. Archived from the original on April 11, 2026.
- "Three Dead After Idaho Church Standoff". CBS News. May 20, 2007. Archived from the original on July 5, 2025.
- Loftus, Bill (May 20, 2007). "Gunman Kills Officer in Idaho Courthouse". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 5, 2015.
- Vestal, Keith (May 22, 2007). "Killer told doctor he'd use guns, bombs". The Spokesman-Review. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022.
- Geranios, Nicholas K. (May 21, 2007). "4 dead and 2 injured during shooting rampage in Moscow, Idaho". The Seattle Times.
- Hoffman, Nathaniel (July 16, 2008). "Massacre in Moscow". idahopress.com.
- "One officer killed, two people found dead after shooting ambush". khq.com. May 20, 2007.
- Cannata, Amy (May 21, 2007). "Idaho town reeling after sniper kills 2, then himself". The Seattle Times.
- "Idaho Gunman Also Killed Wife, Police Say". heraldtribune.com. May 22, 2007.
- Geranios, Nicholas K. (May 21, 2007). "Shooting rampage widely felt in Idaho college town". heraldextra.com.
- Wiley, John K. (May 21, 2007). "Sniper in Idaho kills police officer, man in church and self". starnewsonline.com.