Sacred Heart school shooting reported
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Two Spokane County deputies were shot responding to a domestic violence call in Spangle, Washington.
Three other people died, including the suspect, and a woman was injured.
Background
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels is the sheriff who briefed the public on the shooting at a Tuesday evening news conference. Deputies were responding to a domestic violence shooting in Spangle, a community south of Spokane, when the incident occurred; the wounded were taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, whose chief nursing officer, Adam Richards, said staff care "deeply about everybody who comes through the door." The case drew a large multi-agency response, including a SWAT team and Spokane city, county and Valley police, and closed U.S. Highway 195 for hours.
How it unfolded
- Nov 3, 2026Deputies responded around 2:30 p.m. to a domestic violence call at a Spangle home, where a woman had run to a neighbor's house saying she had been shot by her brother.
- Nov 3, 2026Deputies launched a drone and found a body in the yard; they moved the body to a safe location.
- Nov 3, 2026Deputies attempting to break down the door were met with gunfire; after three deputies returned fire, an additional victim was found on the floor of the home.
- Nov 3, 2026Dozens of law enforcement officers sped downtown and toward Spangle around 3:19 p.m.; a Life Flight helicopter landed at Sacred Heart shortly before 4 p.m.
- Nov 3, 2026One deputy was taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center by patrol car and the other was flown by Life Flight; Liberty School District buses headed toward Spangle turned back and students were reunited with families.
- Nov 3, 2026Both directions of U.S. Highway 195 were closed for hours from Stutler to Smythe roads due to police activity.
- Nov 4, 2026Two deputies were fighting for their lives; three other people were dead, including the suspect, and one woman was injured. Spokane Police took over the investigation and Washington State Patrol was investigating the deputies' use of deadly force.
Key terms
- SWAT team
- A police tactical unit trained for high-risk operations such as hostage rescue, armed arrests, and counter-terrorism.
- Life Flight
- Use of aircraft to provide medical care, including patient transfer, medical evacuation, and disaster response.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Sheriff John Nowels said the two deputies are fighting for their lives and that he is "almost speechless," adding he believes the suspect is dead without disclosing how the person died.
- Official
- WSP Sgt. Greg Riddell said there are multiple civilian victims, two helicopters were called to transport them, there is "no one at large" and he would no longer classify this as an active threat.
- Support
- Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam canceled his election party, saying "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the brave deputies who responded to the call tonight."
- Expert
- Sacred Heart chief nursing officer Adam Richards did not elaborate on the incident but said staff care "deeply about everybody who comes through the door," and "When it's a first responder, it's especially touching... It's one of us."
Still unverified
Earlier reports on how many people had been injured fluctuated, and the condition of the first officer airlifted to Sacred Heart was initially unknown; the sheriff's office had not released further information about the shooting.