Topline
Two firefighters were killed and another was injured after they were ambushed by a sniper while responding to a wildfire in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Sunday, prompting a several-hour-long shelter-in-place order, which was lifted after police found the dead body of the suspected gunman next to a firearm.
Key Facts
At a press conference late on Sunday evening, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said they received a call about a fire breaking out on Canfield Mountain, located north of Coeur d’Alene, at around 1:21 p.m. local time.
At around 2 p.m. local time, the Sheriff’s office received received reports that the firefighters who were tackling the blaze were being shot, after which 300 local, state and federal law enforcement officers responded to the scene.
After searching the area for several hours police found the body a man with a weapon nearby, which is believed to belong to the gunman, Norris said.
Norris said based on preliminary information authorities believe the deceased man was the only shooter and added that the suspect likely intentionally started the fire as part of “an ambush.”
A shelter-in-place order remained in effect for several hours until the gunman’s body was found as people were urged to “stay away” from the Canfield Mountain and the area was designated a “no-fly zone”.
In a Facebook post, Kootenai County Emergency Management said a wildfire was still burning on Canfield Mountain as firefighting efforts had to be paused while police were hunting for the shooter.
What Do We Know About The Shooting Victims?
Police confirmed that two firefighters, one from Coeur d’Alene and another from Kootenai County were killed in the shooting. A third firefighter from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department was injured and taken into surgery. Police said the injured fire fighter was in stable condition after coming out of surgery, but was “fighting for his life.” According to the Associated Press, the victims were taken to the nearby Kootenai Health hospital, where two were declared dead on arrival.
What Do We Know About The Suspected Shooter?
Authorities did not share the identity of the suspected shooter who was found dead next to his firearm, but said they believe he was acting alone. In the press conference Norris said: “We do believe that the suspect started the fire, and we do believe that it was an ambush and it was intentional…These firefighters did not have a chance.” The sheriff said the wildfire in the mountains was “rapidly approaching the body,” so police had to quickly “scoop up” the body and transfer it to a different location. Norris said authorities tracked a cellphone signal on the Canfield Mountain to determine the suspected shooter’s location. “We had a cell phone activation that was in the same spot since about 3:16 [p.m.]
, and that it was in the same area…and we honed in on that cellphone, and we saw that there was a male, appeared to be deceased, with a weapon nearby.”
Crucial Quote
In a statement on X, Idaho Gov. Brad Little said: “Multiple heroic firefighters were attacked today while responding to a fire in North Idaho. This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters. I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more. Teresa and I are heartbroken.”
This is a developing story.