Police say firefighters were lured to a blaze in Idaho by a gunman as fresh details of the Sunday sniper attack are revealed.
Sheriff Robert Norris of Kootenai County, Idaho, confirmed two firefighters were shot dead in the ambush, while another was seriously injured and is fighting for his life.
The gunman opened fire at popular tourist attraction Canfield Mountain, North Idaho, at around 2 p.m. on Sunday as firefighters arrived on scene to battle a brush fire that had been reported to authorities 40 minutes earlier.
“This was a total ambush,” Norris said in a Sunday night press conference. “These firefighters did not have a chance.”
Police said they had not yet uncovered a motive for the murders, but believed the gunman had started the fire. They were investigating whether he also made the 911 call at 1.21 p.m. Sunday that lured the firefighters to their death.
Norris said, “We do believe that the suspect started the fire and we do believe that it was intentional.”
Earlier in the day Norris said, “This was a total ambush, taken by surprise.”
Shocking audio revealed a frantic call made by a firefighter to emergency authorities when the sniper opened fire. CNN aired a recording of dispatch audio where a firefighter stated, “It’s clear to me that this fire was intentionally to draw us in.”
The New York Times, citing a feed posted to Broadcastify, added a firefighter could be heard saying they were forced to hide behind a firefighting rig.
Norris said police now believed there were no other suspects involved in the shooting, with the gunman’s body having been located by a SWAT team with a firearm nearby.
The unidentified gunman was located by tracking a cellphone signal on the mountain. His body was swiftly removed by police due to the “rapidly approaching” fire.
“We had to scoop up that body and we had to transport that body to a different location,” Norris said. “But based on the preliminary information we believe that is the only shooter that was on the mountain at the time. So there is no threat to the community at this time.”
An examination of the body will take place Monday, with police unable to confirm whether the shooter took his own life.
One of the murdered firefighters worked for the Coeur D’Alene Fire Department, the other for Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. Police have yet to announce their identities. Norris confirmed that the injured firefighter, from Coeur D’Alene Fire, is “fighting for his life” but is currently in a stable condition.
The deliberately-lit fire has grown to around 20 acres, police said, with authorities trying to get it under control now the threat of the sniper was gone. They said the area, with heavy tree cover, made it hard to locate the suspect, including using helicopters and drones.
“When you have an environment where you don’t know where the bullets are coming from because of the trees and the shrubbery it’s it is daunting for police officers, let alone firefighters who are there just to put out the fires,” Norris said. “So it’s very, very difficult for drones or helicopters to see any individuals up there.”
The International Association of Firefighters confirmed on Sunday that two of its members were ambushed in a “heinous act of violence.” The statement added, “Two of our brothers were killed by a sniper, and a third brother remains in surgery. Please keep them, their families, and law enforcement in your prayers.” Police are yet to comment on those injured in the attack.
Bruce Mattare, chairman of the Board of County Commissioners in Kootenai County, said June 29 would be a day the area would never forget.
“It was the day evil showed its face and we lost two outstanding professionals of the highest quality,” Mattare said. “And I cannot fathom why anyone would commit such a heinous act.”
At a press conference on Sunday before the suspect was shot, Norris said the FBI had also been dispatched to the scene in Coeur d’Alene.
“I’m hoping that somebody has a clear shot and is able to neutralize, because they are not, at this point in time, showing any evidence of wanting to surrender. So as soon as somebody has a clear shot, I encourage them to take that shot and neutralize the threat.”
He continued: “We are prepared to neutralize this suspect as quickly as possible.”
Earlier on Sunday, Idaho Gov. Brad Little described the incident as “heinous” on Facebook. “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.”
