Inset: Edsel Robert Johnson (Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Authorities responding to the scene where Johnson allegedly killed a man in Idaho (KXLY).
In a shocking incident in Idaho, a 32-year-old DoorDash driver faces charges for allegedly shooting a man dead, with the incident unfolding in front of a large crowd, including the victim’s wife. The tragic event reportedly occurred during a lantern festival when the driver became frustrated while attempting to deliver baby formula.
Authorities have arrested Edsel Robert Johnson, charging him with first-degree murder, reckless driving, and battery in connection to the death of Bradley Allen Rex, according to court documents.
The fatal shooting took place just after 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Stateline Speedway in Post Falls. The venue was bustling with attendees for the Night Lights Sky Lantern Festival, as detailed in a probable cause affidavit acquired by Spokane, Washington’s ABC affiliate KXLY.
Reports indicate that Johnson himself dialed 911 to report the shooting, allegedly telling the dispatcher that the victim had hit his vehicle with an object. Johnson claimed he was reluctant to use his firearm but felt pressed for time due to other commitments.
Eyewitnesses recounted to investigators that Johnson was driving a silver van at high speed and in the wrong direction on Beck Road, a street crowded with festival-goers. Although most pedestrians eventually cleared his path, Rex apparently stood his ground.
Rex’s wife, present during the incident, shared with investigators that her husband was trying to shield others from Johnson’s reckless driving, as reported by The Spokesman-Review. As the van approached, Rex allegedly refused to budge and swung a folding chair at the vehicle as it attempted to pass on the shoulder.
The confrontation reportedly escalated quickly. Some witnesses reported that Johnson stopped the van, got out, and proceeded to attack Rex by punching him and throwing him onto the ground. One witness even described Rex being “body slammed” into a ditch. Johnson then reportedly returned to his driver’s seat. When the unarmed Rex approached the driver’s side window, Johnson allegedly fired a single shot through the open window and drove away.
The shooting was captured on witness video, which reportedly shows Rex falling down an embankment and then approaching the vehicle as the door was closing. The footage shows Johnson’s hand emerging from the van with a small black object before pointing it at Rex, who then collapsed to the ground.
Detectives noted that while being detained, Johnson made several excited utterances, telling law enforcement that he “messed up” and the shooting “should not have happened.”
In an interview with detectives, Johnson told investigators he was delivering baby formula when things “got crazy.” He admitted to slamming the victim to the ground during the initial altercation and said that when Rex ran back at his door, he “reacted. Bad.”
Johnson allegedly said, “I have no idea why I did that,” and “He was pulling my door. What was I supposed to do?” He also reportedly admitted that his own impatience fueled the fatal encounter. “Why didn’t he just get out of my way?” Johnson allegedly asked detectives. He added that while he felt bad, the “dude is dead over nothing.”
During a court appearance on Monday, a judge characterized the shooting as a critical failure of judgment, according to footage provided by Spokane CBS affiliate KREM. “You made an extremely fatal and critical decision that day and as a result of that decision a member of our community here lost his life, his family lost a father, a brother,” the judge said.
Johnson is currently being held in the Kootenai County Jail without bond, records show. It was not immediately clear when he was scheduled to return to court.
