Two firefighters were shot dead while responding to a fire in northern Idaho. The body of a man was later found with a gun nearby, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said on Sunday, as it lifted a shelter-in-place order.
Sheriff Bob Norris reported that law enforcement officers and firefighters were under sniper fire. The firefighters were ambushed by this gunfire. They had only been alerted about a wildfire in the northern Idaho mountains.
Several ambulances, emergency vehicles and armed first responders were present at the scene. The FBI responded to the scene with technical teams and tactical support, deputy director Dan Bongino said.
A statement by the sheriff’s office addresses the man suspected to be the shooter: "This evening, members of the SWAT team located a deceased male on Canfield Mountain. A firearm was found nearby." The sheriff said the shooter had used high-powered sporting rifles to fire rapidly at first responders, with law enforcement initially unsure of the number of perpetrators involved.
The deceased’s body was found camouflaged. Norris adds, “with heavy brush, and they are well prepared and blending in with their surroundings," which further suggests that this ambush was planned. Law enforcement is investigating whether the fire was intentionally set off to lure first responders.
The state’s governor, Brad Little, spoke on the “heinous” assault and said “multiple heroic firefighters” were attacked while responding to the fire.
In a Facebook post, he shares, “ 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. As this situation is still developing, please stay clear of the area to allow law enforcement and firefighters to do their jobs.”
The sheriff’s office advises the public, “At this time, the shelter in place is being lifted, however there is still an active wildfire on Canfield Mountain. Residents in the area are advised to be prepared and ready should further action need to be taken."
