At least two people were killed in Idaho on Sunday afternoon after firefighters were ambushed in a sniper attack as they responded to a call, the authorities said.
Officials said that it was unclear how many shooters might be involved but said that firefighters were still being shot at.
Sheriff Robert Norris of Kootenai County said at an evening news conference that the number of causalities was unknown and “we are actively taking sniper fire as we speak.”
He said it was not clear if there was more than one shooter.
“We don’t know who the suspects are,” he said. “We don’t know how many there are.” He added: “We don’t know if it’s one, two, three or four.”
“If these individuals are not neutralized quickly, this will likely be a multiday operation,” he added.
Sheriff Norris said that the authorities were taking “rapid fire out there.” He added it appeared that “high-powered rifles” were being used, and the shooters were in “heavy brush, well prepared, they are blending in with their surroundings.”
Canfield Mountain Natural Area, near where the shooting happened, is a city park on the outskirts of Coeur d’Alene, with a system of trails. Hikers were still making it off the mountain as the gunfire continued, Sheriff Norris said.
He said the authorities were working on a plan to suppress the shooter’s capability to open fire. Shots were coming from multiple directions, he added.
“When we get that under control, when we have an opportunity to suppress that, then we will continue our removing of people who are on the mountain, who are on for a hike, or public safety personnel or people who live on the backside of the mountain,” the sheriff said.
The F.B.I. confirmed they were on scene and helping the local authorities.
Gov. Brad Little of Idaho on social media called the attack “a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters.”
“As this situation is still developing, please stay clear from the area to allow law enforcement and firefighters to do their jobs,” he said.
The Kootenai County Fire Department responded to the wildfire around 1:21 p.m. local time. A short time later, shots were fired, officials said
The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office asked residents on Facebook to avoid Coeur d’Alene.
Kootenai County Emergency Management told residents to shelter in place and avoid the area near Canfield Mountain Trailhead and Nettleton Gulch Road. The office expanded the alert to include an area south of Hayden Lake Road and east of 15th Street.
Nine firefighters have died from assault on duty from June 1990 to July 2023, according to data tracked by the U.S. Fire Administration, which is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Deaths by gunfire are so rare for firefighters that FEMA did not include gunshot wounds in its list of fatal injury causes.
Mike Baker and Bernard Mokam contributed reporting.
Mark Walker is an investigative reporter for The Times focused on transportation. He is based in Washington.
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