Two firefighters were slaughtered while they were working on a fire in northern Idaho, and a man’s body was then found with a nearby firearm, the Sheriff’s Bureau of Kootenai said on Sunday, which also announced the lifting of the confinement order.
The Sheriff Bob Norris had previously declared that the police and firefighters underwent sniper fire and urged the population to avoid the area around Canfield Mountain, a natural space prized for hikers near the heart of Alene, about 420 km east of Seattle.
“Tonight, members of the Swat team have located a deceased man on Canfield Mountain. A firearm was found nearby, “said the sheriff’s office in a press release.
“At this stage, confinement is lifted, however a forest fire is still active on Canfield Mountain. Residents of the sector are invited to remain vigilant and ready to act in the event of evolution of the situation. »»
The sheriff explained that the shooter had used high -power sports rifles to get burst out on the first stakeholders, the police not being sure, at first, of the number of attackers involved.
They were in a “very brushy, well prepared and perfectly camouflaged area in their environment,” added Norris.
Police examine the possibility that the fire has been triggered intentionally in order to attract help on the scene, said Lieutenant Jeff Howard of the Kootenai County Sheriff in ABC News.
Internal security secretary Kristi Noem was informed of the shooting in Idaho, reports ABC News.
Video images of the scene earned major scrolls of smoke earlier rising wooded hills, while armed speakers were preparing and several ambulances and rescue vehicles entered a neighboring hospital.
“FBI technical and tactical teams are currently on site to support,” wrote the deputy director of the FBI, Dan Bongino, on X. “The situation remains active and extremely dangerous. »»
The firefighters received the first call for a fire around 1:21 p.m. (8:21 p.m. GMT), said Norris, and about 40 minutes later, reports of gunshots against them emerged.
“This is an odious and direct attack against our courageous firefighters,” reacted the governor of Idaho, Brad Little, on X. “I ask all the inhabitants of Idaho to pray for them and their families while we are waiting to know more. »»
The possession of firearms is widespread in the United States, where the Constitution protects citizens’ right to “have and carry weapons”.
Deaths related to armed violence are frequent: 17,927 people were killed by firearm in 2023 in the United States, according to the latest available data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
