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At least two people have been killed after someone opened fire on firefighters responding to a wildfire in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Sunday, local law enforcement officials said.
Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said at a news conference that first responders were “actively taking sniper fire as we speak.”
“We still have civilians that are coming off of that mountain. We might have civilians that are stuck or in shock on that mountain, so this is a very, very fresh situation,” Norris said, adding, “We are prepared to neutralize this suspect who is currently actively shooting at public safety personnel. We are prepared to neutralize this suspect as quickly as possible.”
Both people who were killed are believed to be fire personnel, Norris said.
It’s not clear how many shooters there were, the sheriff said, and noted if they aren’t stopped soon, “this is likely to be a multiday operation.”
“It appears that modern-day sporting rifles are being used. It appears that high-powered rifles are being used,” he said.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that shots were fired about half an hour after firefighters responded to a fire on Canfield Mountain.
Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office and Kootenai County Emergency Management said on social media that residents should shelter in place as the shooter was still at large. The wildfire was still burning as of 4:30 p.m. local time.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said the FBI was on the way to provide “tactical and operational support.”
“This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,” Idaho Gov. Brad Little said on social media. “I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more. Teresa and I are heartbroken. As this situation is still developing, please stay clear from the area to allow law enforcement and firefighters to do their jobs.”
Coeur d’Alene is close to the Idaho-Washington border and about 30 miles from Spokane, Washington.
