Standoff at Home on Idaho Reservation Hits 18-Hour Mark

Story by the Associated Press; curated by Dave Urbanski

A man believed to have weapons has barricaded himself in a home on the Fort Hall Reservation in southeast Idaho, Shoshone-Bannock Tribal officials said Saturday.

Officers received a report of shots fired in the home around 3 a.m., but it has not been confirmed whether shots were indeed fired or if anyone was injured, said Angelo Gonzales, Shoshone Bannock Tribes executive director.

It's unknown whether the man is alone in the three-bedroom home.

"To my knowledge he's the only one in there," Gonzales said. "He's clearly barricaded himself in with furniture."

The Idaho State Journal reported the standoff was still ongoing as of 8 p.m. and that SWAT teams had arrived with two armored vehicles.

The newspaper also reported authorities said that since the standoff began at 3 a.m. Saturday, the gunman has fired several times at law enforcement officers but no one has been injured.

The State Journal said that FBI Special Agent Todd Palmer released a statement saying authorities "are currently working to peacefully resolve a situation on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. At this time there is no danger to the community and surrounding residences have been evacuated."

Gonzales described the man as agitated and said at times he's been poking his head out a window and yelling. Officers on the scene this morning were staying a couple hundred yards away, however, and hadn't been able to hear him clearly.

FBI agents came to the scene late Saturday morning and a negotiator and SWAT team arrived several hours later. Five blocks of surrounding homes remain evacuated and road blocks are still in place in several locations.

The Southeast Idaho SWAT team was also called in and Fort Hall Police and officials from other tribal departments are assisting. The Idaho Falls bomb squad was also on hand.

Neighbor Jessica First told the Journal she thought she heard gunshots and saw Fort Hall police with guns drawn near her home early Saturday morning. Police evacuated her family, and they were waiting for news at a nearby hotel.

"I just believe it's going to be a waiting game right now," Gonzales said, adding that the FBI SWAT team is in charge of developing a plan. "We're waiting to aid in any way we can."