Court records say the Idaho shooting followed a dispute near Stateline Speedway.

POST FALLS, Idaho — A DoorDash driver delivering baby formula is charged with killing a man May 9 after a traffic dispute outside Stateline Speedway, where thousands had gathered for a lantern festival, according to police and court records.

Edsel Robert Johnson, 32, faces first-degree murder, reckless driving and battery charges in the death of Bradley Allen Rex. Investigators say the shooting followed a clash on North Beck Road in unincorporated Kootenai County, where cars and pedestrians had slowed around the Night Lights Sky Lantern Festival. The case now turns on witness accounts, Johnson’s statements to dispatchers and investigators, and court filings that describe a tense few minutes on a crowded road.

The shooting was reported at about 7:10 p.m., when Kootenai County sheriff’s deputies and Post Falls police officers were already near the speedway because of the crowd. Authorities said Johnson was trying to drive through a packed area as people were arriving at or leaving the event. Court documents say witnesses described a silver van driving the wrong way on Beck Road while the driver honked at pedestrians and other vehicles. Rex’s wife told investigators her husband moved toward the van because he was trying to protect people nearby. Kootenai County sheriff’s Lt. Mark Ellis said the early investigation showed the shooting grew out of “a dispute involving individuals leaving the event and the suspect attempting to drive through the crowded area.”

Investigators say Johnson called 911 after the shooting and reported that he had shot someone. According to court documents described by police, Johnson said the man he shot had been hitting his van and that he did not want to shoot him but had “stuff to do.” Deputies found Rex at the scene and he was pronounced dead. Johnson was stopped as he was leaving the area in a vehicle, authorities said. He later told detectives he was a DoorDash driver, was in the process of delivering baby formula and had grown impatient in the traffic. Police said Johnson admitted shooting Rex and said he had reacted poorly when Rex came up to the vehicle and grabbed the door.

The case began with an initial public notice that a suspect had been detained after a shooting near the speedway. Within days, court filings identified Johnson as the accused shooter and Rex as the man killed. Prosecutors later filed amended charges, adding battery to the first-degree murder and reckless driving counts. The battery count says Johnson willfully and unlawfully used force or violence against Rex on May 9. The murder charge carries the most serious possible penalties under Idaho law, including life in prison or death, though prosecutors had not made a final decision on whether to seek a death sentence. Johnson is presumed innocent unless proved guilty in court.

At Johnson’s first court appearance, First District Judge James Combo set bail at $2 million and ordered Johnson to have no contact with Rex’s family. Combo said the facts alleged in the case made Johnson a significant public safety risk. Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney Stan Mortensen told the court that Idaho law would not justify the shooting as described in the charging records. Mortensen also said prosecutors would review the full record before making any decision on a possible death penalty filing. Court proceedings continued later in May with preliminary hearings as prosecutors moved ahead with the amended complaint.

The setting added to the case’s public impact. Stateline Speedway sits near Post Falls along North Beck Road, an area that drew a heavy evening crowd for the lantern festival. The sheriff’s office said deputies and local police were near the event before the shooting because of the number of people expected there. That meant officers were able to respond quickly once calls came in. The road was closed while investigators processed the scene, and the sheriff’s office asked the public to avoid the area. Officials said there was no ongoing threat after Johnson was detained.

Witness accounts outlined in court documents describe a confrontation that moved fast. Some people said the van pushed through traffic while pedestrians tried to clear a path. Others said Rex did not move aside as the van came through the crowd. Rex’s wife, according to the filings, described her husband as acting to protect bystanders from the vehicle. The records do not say that Rex was armed. They also leave several questions for court, including the exact distance between Johnson and Rex, what each man could see in the crowded roadway, and how quickly the confrontation escalated from traffic dispute to gunfire.

Johnson’s role as a delivery driver became a key detail because investigators say he was working at the time. He told detectives he was transient and driving for DoorDash, according to court documents. He said the delivery involved baby formula, an ordinary errand that placed him in unusual traffic outside a major public event. DoorDash was not listed as a defendant in the criminal case, and the charges are against Johnson personally. The record described by investigators focuses on his driving, his alleged use of force and what he told authorities after calling 911.

The criminal process is still in its early stage. Prosecutors must prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, and defense attorneys can challenge the evidence, witness statements and legal basis for each count. Preliminary hearings allow a judge to decide whether the case has enough evidence to move forward. If the case proceeds, later steps could include arraignment, motions over evidence, plea discussions or a trial date. Court records and public statements so far do not show a final ruling on the charges, a trial schedule or a decision on capital punishment.

For Rex’s family, the shooting unfolded in public and in front of his wife, according to investigators. For the crowd at the festival, a night built around a public gathering became a crime scene. For Kootenai County officials, the case has moved from an emergency response on Beck Road to a high-stakes murder prosecution. The next major milestone is the continuation of court proceedings in Kootenai County as prosecutors and defense lawyers test the evidence behind the amended charges.

Author note: Last updated June 4, 2026.