Idaho authorities said they killed the sniper behind the deadly ambush Sunday that killed two firefighters and inflicted an “unknown amount of casualties” near a still-raging fire by Coeur d’Alene in the state’s northern neck.
Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said SWAT team members found a dead man with a firearm close by around 8:45 p.m. MDT on Canfield Mountain, hours after gunshots rained down on fire crews and trapped hikers amid the blaze first reported early Sunday afternoon.
Sheriff Robert Norris confirmed the two slain victims were fire personnel. Authorities said later a third person was rushed to a hospital for treatment.
The sheriff said there was a potential for other shooting victims that have yet to be located by law enforcement when he first spoke to the media around 4:30 p.m.
The shelter in place order has been lifted, but fire crews are working to contain the blaze that was first reported around 1:20 p.m.
Authorities said police worked to suppress the “rapid” gunfire before they could recover the two slain crew members. People came off the mountain while officials were pinned down by the shooter.
FBI and state authorities also helped confront the shooter they said used a “modern-day sporting rifle.”
The sheriff said the suspect blended into the wooded surroundings and took aim from multiple vantage points.
“It’s going to be a tough next couple hours … Here’s hoping that somebody has a clear shot and is able to neutralize because they are not, at this point in time, showing any evidence of wanting to surrender,” the sheriff had earlier said
Idaho Gov. Brad Little said “multiple heroic firefighters” were attacked during the emergency response.
“This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,” the governor said on X. “I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.”
The fire was still raging Sunday evening as gunshots kept crews at bay. Sheriff Norris said authorities can’t get control of the blaze until the shooting stops.
The Idaho House Republican Leadership said in a statement that it is “horrified by the murder of two firefighters in Coeur d’Alene, and shocked by such a vicious attack on our first responders. We are praying for them, the injured, their families and their colleagues.”
Coeur d’Alene is a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Canfield Mountain is a popular hiking and biking area on the outskirts of the northern Idaho city, covered with trees and heavy brush and crisscrossed with trails.
• This article was based in part on wire service reports.
