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The attack unfolded around 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, June 29, when fire crews responded to a brushfire near the 24-acre Canfield Mountain Park in Coeur d’Alene.
After intentionally starting the fire to lure first responders, a gunman armed with a “sporting rifle” opened fire, shooting and killing two firefighters and injuring a third, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office. The injured firefighter was listed in stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery.
More than 300 local, state, and federal law enforcement officers flooded the scene as firefighters came under sniper fire, officials said. For hours, the community was ordered to shelter in place while helicopters scanned the woods for the shooter and helped evacuate the area.
The suspect, believed to be acting alone, was later found dead on the mountain with a firearm nearby, sheriff’s officials said. Investigators tracked a cellphone signal that had remained stationary for hours and located the man’s body using surveillance and helicopter technology. It was unclear whether he died by suicide.
“This was a total ambush,” Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said at a late-night press conference. “These firefighters did not have a chance.”
The names of the victims had not been released as of press time, but one worked for the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and the other for Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, Norris said. The third firefighter also works for Coeur d’Alene Fire and is “fighting for his life,” Norris added.
The International Association of Fire Fighters confirmed the tragedy on X, calling the attack a “heinous act of violence” and asking the public to keep the victims and their families in their prayers.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little echoed that sentiment, calling it a “heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters” on X, and asking Idahoans to pray for those impacted.
The FBI, ATF, and multiple regional agencies remained at the shooting site early Monday morning, June 30. Authorities did not speculate on a possible motive for the attack.
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