Two firefighters have been confirmed dead and a third injured after the crew became the target of a suspected sniper attack in Idaho, police say.
The first responders were in attendance to extinguish a wildfire on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d’Alene - which is located in the northwest of the state - when they were ambushed by a sharpshooter at around 2.00pm yesterday (June 29), according to authorities.
Firefighters from both the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue were subject to a barrage of bullets, which took place roughly 30 minutes after crews arrived while they were tackling the blaze.
Tragically, a member of both fire departments died as a result of the assault, which has been described as a 'heinous act of violence' by the general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters.
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He added in a post on Twitter: "Two of our brothers were killed by a sniper, and a third brother remains in surgery."
While Idaho Governor Brad Little added: "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. 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. Please keep them, their families, and law enforcement in your prayers."
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Residents have been urged to stay away from Canfield Mountain as the wildfire is still burning, but the suspected gunman has been found dead in the rocky terrain.
"This evening, members of the SWAT team located a deceased male on Canfield Mountain. A firearm was found nearby. Additional information will be provided during the scheduled press briefing at 9:30 PM," a Kootenai County Sheriff's Office statement read.
"At this time, the Shelter in Place is being lifted however there is still an active wildfire on Canfield Mountain. Residents in the area are advised to be prepared and ready should further action need to be taken."
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The third victim of the assault was a firefighter from Coeur d’Alene's division - with Sheriff Bob Norris telling reporters at a press conference that he is 'fighting for his life but he’s in stable condition'.
“This was a total ambush, these firefighters did not have a chance,” he added.
“We have currently one dead shooter based on the preliminary investigation that was being conducted. Keep in mind we had a fire that was rapidly approaching the body so we had to scoop up that body and we had to transport that body to a different location.
"We believe that it is the only shooter that was on that mountain at that time.”
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The three victims of the suspected sniper attack have not been identified.
Joe Yates