Two dead in church after shooting spree

US Police stormed an Idaho church where they believed a gunman was hiding today and found two bodies inside.

The dead included the likely shooter, who had wounded two officers, and a civilian with bursts of automatic gunfire late last night or early today, police said.

About 75 shots were fired in the attack on a nearby courthouse, said David Duke, assistant police chief in the Idaho university town of Moscow.

Duke said the attack was apparently an ambush, with the shooter firing into the Latah County Courthouse to lure people into the line of fire.

"Whoever the shooter is wanted to draw people to the courthouse," Duke said. "When officers responded, he did open fire on them."

A Moscow police officer was shot first, followed by a Latah County sheriff's deputy who came to his aid. A civilian was struck after that, Duke said.

Police do not believe the shooter had a specific target in mind.

"He was just shooting at anybody he could," Duke said. "We believe the shots were from a high area, based on where the victims were shot."

Police declined to release the condition of the victims.

The courthouse holds the sheriff's office, and Duke said more than 30 shots were fired into the sheriff's dispatch centre, but no one was injured.

Officers surrounded the nearby First Presbyterian Church, and the final shot from inside the church was heard about 1am, Duke said.