Brad Little, governor of Idaho, seen here in July 2020, called Sunday’s attack on firefighters “a heinous direct assault.” File photo by Al Drago/UPI | License Photo
Two firefighters are dead and a third was fighting for his life Sunday night after they were shot while responding to a wildfire on a northwestern Idaho mountain in what authorities said was an ambush.
The suspected shooter, who has not been identified, was found dead on Canfield Mountain, east of Coeur d’Alene, authorities said in a Sunday night press conference.
Neither of the deceased firefighters has been identified, with authorities stating one was with the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and the other was with Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. The injured firefighter was also from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department. He has undergone surgery and was fighting for his life but is in stable condition, authorities said.
“This was a total ambush,” Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris told reporters in the press conference. “These firefighters did not have a chance.”
The wildfire was reported to police on the east side of Canfield Mountain at about 1:20 p.m. MDT, with firefighters reporting they came under gunfire at about 2 p.m.
Authorities said they believe the suspect had set the fire with intentions to attack the firefighters, though they do not believe he was the person who reported the fire to 911.
A motive behind the ambush remains unknown.
The body of the suspected shooter was found on the mountain near a firearm, Norris said, adding that identification was ongoing as was the investigation into the cause of death.
“Based on the preliminary information, we believe that was the only shooter who was on that mountain at that time,” he said.
Threatened by the ongoing wildfire, authorities “scooped up” the body and moved it to another location, Norris said. The crime scene, he added, has been “compromised,” but “we had to do what we had to do to preserve the body.”
Norris did not specify the weapon used in the attack, but said others might be found on the mountain. In an earlier press briefing, he had described the weapon used as high-power sporting rifle.
“We don’t know what we’ll be collecting once the fire threat diminishes,” he said.
Norris earlier described the suspect as having been “well prepared.”
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office had originally announced that the body of a deceased male found by a weapon had been located on the mountain, while suggesting the hours-long manhunt for the gunman had come to an end by announcing at the same time that the shelter-in-place order that had been activated shortly after the incident began was being lifted. It continued to warn residents to avoid the area due to the ongoing active wildfire.
“Multiple heroic firefighters were attacked today while responding to a fire in North Idaho,” Idaho Gov. Brad Little posted on social media. “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.”
Norris had said in an earlier 4 p.m. press conference that they were “prepared to neutralize this suspect who is currently actively shooting at public safety personnel.”
If not “neutralized quickly,” Norris said, the operation could last days.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said agents were at the scene, providing tactical and operational support.
