Idaho SWAT Team Finds Suspected Shooter's Body After Firefighter Ambush
Firefighters responded to a wildfire in northern Idaho on Sunday, then shots rang out, killing two firefighters and wounding another. That evening, a SWAT team found a dead man with a gun nearby.
Kootenai County Fire and Rescue responded to a wildfire on Canfield Mountain – near Coeur D'Alene – at 1:30 p.m. June 29, according to a press release from the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office. Then, at 2 p.m., shots rang out.
'Firefighters broadcast that they were being shot at on Canfield Mountain,' said Sheriff Bob Norris in a press conference.
Ultimately, the suspect's gunfire killed two firefighters – one from Kootenai County and one from Coeur D'Alene – and wounded another from the county.
So local law enforcement responded, Norris said. 'We exchanged gunfire with the suspect.'
Police helicopters and snipers descended on the area, according to Norris. They decided 'the threat should be eliminated as quickly as possible.'
'If they had an opportunity to take a shot, we wanted them to take the shot,' he said. 'We knew that our resources were exhausted.'
Meanwhile, the fire continued to burn across a 17,000-square-foot area, and police coordinated assistance from other agencies. According to Norris, the White House, FBI Director Kash Patel, Idaho Gov. Brad Little, and Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador offered 'anything that we needed.'
That evening, a SWAT team found 'a deceased male on Canfield Mountain,' and 'a firearm was found nearby,' according to a press release. At that point, officials lifted the 'shelter in place' order for residents.
'Based on the preliminary information, we believe that is the only shooter that was on that mountain at that time,' Norris said in the conference.
At the time, the wounded firefighter had emerged from surgery. Norris said he was 'fighting for his life' but in 'stable condition.'
First responders honored the fallen firefighters in a procession to Spokane, Washington.
Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Pete Holley called the shooting 'tragic.'
'We will be providing additional information as it becomes available,' Holley wrote. 'We are grateful for the prayers and support from the community and surrounding agencies.'
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