At least two people were killed Sunday after a suspect shot at firefighters who were tackling a fire near the city of Coeur d’Alene in the state of Idaho, officials said.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said the firefighters had been deployed to the blaze at Canfield Mountain at around 1:30 p.m. local time (19:30 GMT).
The sheriff said police responding to the incident were “still taking sniper fire” on Sunday afternoon.
What do we know about the incident?
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said the deceased were firefighters.
Sheriff Bob Norris told reporters that it was unclear if there was one shooter or more. He added that civilians may have been hit during the incident, which was still unfolding.
“We are prepared to neutralize this suspect who is currently actively shooting at public safety personnel,” Norris said.The sheriff’s office in neighboring Soshone County said police were “dealing with an active shooter situation where the shooter is still at large.”
In a post on X, Idaho Governor Brad Little said “multiple” firefighters had been attacked.
What have authorities said about the shooting?
“This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,” Little said. “I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.”
Little did not provide further details on casualties or how the shooting unfolded.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid the area around Canfield Mountain Trailhead andNettleton Gulch Road, which is about 4 miles (6.5 km) north of Coeur d’Alene, a city near the border with Washington state that is home to about 55,000 people.
The US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on X that the department was “actively monitoring the scene.”
“Pray for Idaho’s first responders. Justice will be served,” Noem said.
Edited by: John Silk
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