Ambushed US firefighters 'didn't have a chance'
A US gunman armed with a rifle started a wildfire before shooting at first responders in a northern Idaho mountain community, killing two firefighters and wounding a third during a barrage of gunfire over several hours.
A shelter-in-place order was lifted on Sunday night after a tactical response team used mobile phone data to "hone in" on a wooded area where they found the suspect's body with a firearm nearby as flames rapidly approached, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said.
Officials did not release his name, nor did they say what kind of gun was found.
"We do believe that the suspect started the fire, and we do believe that it was an ambush and it was intentional," Norris said at a Sunday night news conference.
"These firefighters did not have a chance."
Sheriff's officials said crews responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d'Alene around 1:30pm and gunshots were reported about a half hour later.
"We believe that was the only shooter that was on that mountain at that time," Norris said.
Three victims were brought to Kootenai Health, said hospital spokesperson Kim Anderson.
Two were dead on arrival and the third was being treated for injuries.
The wounded firefighter was "fighting for his life" after surgery and was in stable condition, Norris said.
The scene was sheer pandemonium as the brush fire burned and firefighters rushed to the scene only to come under heavy fire.
First responders made urgent calls for help on their radios: "Everybody's shot up here ... send law enforcement now," according to one dispatch.
Idaho Governor Brad Little said "multiple" firefighting personnel were attacked.
"This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters," Little said on X.
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. As this…
— Brad Little (@GovernorLittle) June 29, 2025
"I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more."
Norris said it appeared the sniper was hiding in the rugged terrain and using a high-powered rifle.
Just as the evening press conference was expected to begin, the bodies of the slain firefighters arrived in the nearby city of Spokane, Washington, escorted by a procession of fire and law enforcement vehicles. Firefighters and others saluted as the vehicles passed by.
An alert by the Kootenai County Emergency Management Office asked people to avoid the area around Canfield Mountain Trailhead and Nettleton Gulch Road, about 6.5km north of downtown Coeur d'Alene.
The FBI responded to the scene with technical teams and tactical support, Deputy Director Dan Bongino said.
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 city's outskirts, covered with trees and heavy brush and crisscrossed with trails that lead into a national forest.
with reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
30 minutes ago
- Washington Post
What is a jury supposed to make of the Diddy trial?
The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs was a sprawling odyssey into the perverse desires of the rich and famous, six weeks of learning more than any of us wanted to know about baby oil, escort payments and the not-insubstantial administrative skills required to arrange an orgy. Much of it felt like a testament to the fact that literally nothing is less sexy than sex — at least, not once when you turn on the black light and examine the mess it left behind. The general manager of L'Ermitage Beverly Hills, a luxury hotel, got on the stand and read from internal notes specifying that Combs's room, after one stay, should be placed 'out of order' for a 'deep cleaning.' Another hotel worker testified that Combs was fined $1,000 for 'oil damage.' Great Gatsby's parties, these were not. Combs's freak-offs left behind pain, disgust and charges on racketeering and sex trafficking to be adjudicated in a court of law.
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Exclusive Interview With Bureau Of Prisons Director William Marshall
Walt Pavlo spoke with newly appointed Bureau of Prisons Director William Marshall III A New Administration Newly appointed Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director William Marshall III provided an exclusive interview regarding his first 10 weeks in the position and how he is addressing the many challenges facing the Agency. Director Marshall, who formerly headed the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, inherited a BOP office in disarray and void of leadership. Director Colette Peters was dismissed in the opening hours of the Trump administration in January and the acting director named as her temporary replacement announced his retirement shortly after his appointment. Marshall told me, 'We are a different administration from the previous one that did little to move some important initiatives that were started under Donald J. Trump. We intend to fully implement the First Step Act (FSA), something that will be part of this president's legacy on criminal justice reform.' Marshall understands that there have been communication problems within the BOP, which has been a major problem in implementing the FSA. Marshall said that key to the FSA law was returning non-violent offenders back home as soon as possible while focusing on locking those up who pose a threat to society. 'The President and Attorney General Pamela Bondi are committed to Making America Safe Again,' Marshall said. Full Implementation Of First Step Act Successfully implementing the First Step Act (FSA) relies on effectively communicating the program to case managers responsible for overseeing the re-entry plans of inmates nearing release. Under the FSA, eligible inmates can earn up to 15 days off their sentence per month, with a maximum reduction of one year. After reaching this limit, they can earn an unlimited number of days toward home confinement. However, challenges have hindered the program's implementation, primarily due to computer programming issues preventing accurate calculation of sentence reductions under the FSA, as well as a lack of clear guidance for case managers. Marshall stated, "First, our office in Washington is always available, and case managers can call us with any questions. Additionally, we will be soon be hosting a national training event to provide specific guidance on our approach, alongside the directives we've already issued. However, it's important to note that people must be part of the solution to make this Agency great, and I am confident we will achieve that." In speaking with many inmates and their families over the past few weeks, they tell me of signs on case manager doors stating they have no information on the new FSA directive. 'We have to provide clear communication to the field,' Marshall said of such stories, 'We are looking for people [case managers] who are part of the solution to fully implementing FSA.' Families I have spoken to remain skeptical as the BOP has fallen short in providing clarity on its own policies, leading to lawsuits and some people staying in prison longer than the law allows. Many just want to know when their loved one is coming home. One remaining uncertainty is how far the BOP will go in utilizing both the FSA and the Second Chance Act, a law that allows up to one year of prerelease custody. By "stacking" the two programs, inmates could spend more time in the community, searching for job opportunities and reconnecting with their families sooner. However, limited capacity at residential reentry centers (halfway houses) has resulted in many inmates staying in prison longer than necessary. "We need to address this," Marshall said, 'we have halfway house space, but we need to be smarter in how we use it. Ultimately, our goal is to return people to the community who pose no threat to public safety.' Finding The Right People Marshall said he has met with union leadership and staff at a few facilities during his short time at BOP. While he was impressed with many people he met, Marshall said that the Agency is going to change for the better and there is always reluctance to any change. 'Staff have to ask themselves, 'Is this where I want to be?'' Marshall said, 'but I have seen a few of these facilities with my own eyes and there are people here who buy into our mission of safely incarcerating those who are dangerous and returning others to society sooner.' The BOP is represented by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a union that represents thousands of BOP employees across the United States. The AFGE advocates for better working conditions, pay, and benefits for federal correctional officers and other BOP staff. In March 2025, President Trump signed an executive order using authority granted by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 to end collective bargaining with federal unions in agencies with national security missions, including the Department of Justice, which oversees the BOP. This order effectively removed BOP employees from the Federal Labor-Management Relations Program, stripping unions of their right to negotiate on behalf of employees. The executive order was met with strong opposition from unions representing federal workers, including the AFGE. Unions argued that the order violated First Amendment rights and undermined workers' protections. In response, AFGE and other unions filed lawsuits challenging the legality of the executive order. In June 2025, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of the executive order, stating that the unions were likely to succeed in proving that the order was illegal and violated constitutional rights . 'My question to AFGE when I spoke with their leadership was whether they were sincere about being part of the BOP's success,' Marshall said, 'and the feedback that I got was that they are. We may have differences but we all know the BOP must make significant changes to meet our complex mission of safety and returning better people to society.' Infrastructure And Staffing Two major issues facing the BOP have been its crumbling infrastructure and hiring to fill thousands of open positions. Marshall indicated that Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, which is still being negotiated, provides for billions in infrastructure improvement and for hiring staff. 'I am confident that we will get the support to upgrade our facilities that have been neglected for so long,' Marshall said, 'and we are going to have money for hiring people.' Former Director Peters and her predecessor Michael Carvajal, both went to Congress asking for up to $3 billion to repair existing prison facilities to bring them up to modern standards. Marshall said that the real number could be closer to $4 billion. Under the previous administration, not only did the BOP get only limited funds to prepare its prison facilities but it also operated under a continuing resolution budget that was over 2 years old. Asked whether prisons would be closed as the population of inmates have decreased over the past 10 years. 'We are looking at everything,' Marshall said, 'but we have no announcements to close additional facilities at this time.' Just last week, Marshall announced that a federal prison camp in Morgantown, WV would remain open despite it being on a list set for closure last December. Regarding staffing Marshall indicated that there was going to be an increase in funding for retaining and acquiring new staff. 'Our people are important and we have to be competitive,' Marshall said. Deputy Director Josh Smith Marshall also spoke about the leadership of Deputy Director Josh Smith who was appointed just a few weeks ago. Smith is the highest ranking BOP executive who also had a past felony conviction decades ago. Smith was pardoned by Trump at the end of his first term in office. 'People will see Deputy Director Smith as someone who is committed to BOP staff and their safety,' Marshall said, 'he has a passion and commitment to make the BOP successful and we're lucky to have someone like that here with us.' Some in the BOP, particularly on social media, have been highly critical of Smith, something Marshall said he was aware of. 'Deputy Smith is one of the hardest working people I know and the people in our Agency will see this when they meet him,' Marshall said, 'when I've been with him at facilities there was an eagerness for change and I see in him a confidence to bring about that change.' Following Through Director Marshall is aware of past promises from BOP management and how those have fallen short. Under Director Peters, she promised pushing more people into the community as well but her initiatives were plagued by computer problems, missteps in implementation and a shortage of residential reentry centers. 'We have to do better and I promised that I would not just manage from here in Washington,' Marshall said, 'but I am committed to be out in the field at these facilities so I can give our people the resources they need to complete their mission.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ahold Delhaize USA 2024 cyberattack exposed 2 million people's data
Food retailer Ahold Delhaize USA has confirmed that the cybersecurity incident that took place on 5 November 2024 exposed the data of 2.24 million people. The update follows a brief statement issued by the company in April 2025. The external system breach compromised sensitive customer information including names, Social Security numbers, health info and financial account details such as bank account numbers. Ahold Delhaize stated: 'We are writing to notify you of a cybersecurity issue that may have affected your personal information contained in employment records related to you or your family member.' 'We detected a cybersecurity issue involving unauthorised access to some of our internal US business systems on 6 November 2024. We immediately launched an investigation with the assistance of leading external cybersecurity experts, coordinated with US federal law enforcement, and began taking steps to contain the issue. 'Based on our investigation, we identified that an unauthosised third party obtained certain files from one of our internal US file repositories between 5 and 6 November 2024.' Following a review of the impacted files, the company confirmed that 'some of these files may have included internal employment records containing personal information about you that we obtained in the course of providing services for certain current and former Ahold Delhaize USA companies'. Ahold Delhaize operates brands such as Food Lion, Giant Food, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. It operates more than 2,000 stores in 23 US states. According to UK security software company Comparitech, the incident ranks as the eighth-largest ransomware breach on a US company in 2024 and the 11th largest globally. The ransomware group Inc claimed responsibility, though this has not been verified. In May 2025, Ahold Delhaize reported net sales of €23.28bn ($26.41bn) in the first quarter (Q1) of fiscal 2025 (FY25) – a 5% rise at constant exchange rates. "Ahold Delhaize USA 2024 cyberattack exposed 2 million people's data" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
