Shootout in downtown pocatello: Police say two groups of people opened fire on each other

POCATELLO — Police are investigating an apparent shootout that occurred in downtown Pocatello early Sunday morning.

The shootout happened around 2:15 a.m. in the vicinity of East Center Street and Second Avenue and resulted in numerous people reporting the gunfire to Pocatello police.

Police said they do not believe that anyone was hit by the gunfire because they found no blood evidence at the scene. However, the gunfire did hit two unoccupied vehicles and a building.

Police said they believe the gunfire was exchanged by two groups of people who were on foot at the time.

Several police units responded to the East Center and Second Avenue area after the gunfire was reported but the people involved in the shooting had already fled.

Police said they found four shell casings in the 100 block of North Second Avenue and closed that block to traffic so they could further investigate.

The block is expected to be reopened later Sunday morning.

Police initially thought that a white car seen fleeing the area immediately after the shooting was somehow involved. Officers later tracked down the vehicle and determined that its driver was not involved but had quickly sped away from the area because the sound of the gunfire triggered his post-traumatic stress disorder.