Multiple firefighters were shot, resulting in two fatalities and several injuries, during a gun attack in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Sunday, June 29th. Local authorities reported that at least one gunman was still firing a high-powered rifle at law enforcement officers.
Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris stated that on Sunday afternoon, firefighters in the city of Coeur d’Alene were ambushed by a gunman while fighting a wildfire in the brush, leading to two deaths. Law enforcement officers are currently conducting a pursuit operation.
Norris mentioned that the officers reported bullets coming from various directions. “We do not know if there is one, two, three, or four (gunmen),” he said, but assured that “we will eliminate this threat.”
During a press conference, the sheriff informed that civilians were being evacuated from the mountains, possibly trapped in the fire zone. The Kootenai County Emergency Management Office has requested residents in the area to evacuate immediately and advised others not to venture into the region.
Idaho Governor Brad Little urged people to stay away from the area to allow law enforcement officers and firefighters to carry out their duties. Little expressed on the social media platform X, “This is a brutal attack on our brave firefighters. I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families, and we are awaiting further information.”
The incident occurred around 1:30 pm local time, approximately 4 miles north of downtown in the Canfield Mountain Natural Area. The area is densely forested with several hiking and biking trails. Prior to the shooting, a small wildfire had broken out on the mountain, but the fire kept spreading.
Officials said that when firefighters arrived at the scene about half an hour later, they were shot at by an unidentified gunman in the woods.
Lieutenant Jeff Howard from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office revealed to ABC News that law enforcement is investigating whether the fire was intentionally set to lure rescue personnel to the location.
An FBI spokesperson informed the media that the FBI is assisting Kootenai County authorities in the investigation.
Coeur d’Alene is located near the border with Washington state and has a population of 55,000.