Officers discovered a man’s body alongside a firearm on Sunday afternoon, reporting that they were “taking sniper fire” in the vicinity of Coeur d’Alene.

Tragedy struck in Idaho as two firefighters lost their lives and one was injured when they came under sniper fire while responding to a fire incident.

According to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, the firefighting team was targeted near Coeur d’Alene on Sunday afternoon. After the initial attack, officers discovered the body of a man armed with a firearm in the vicinity. The firefighters were attending to a blaze on Canfield Mountain around 1:30 PM when gunfire erupted about thirty minutes later.

Sheriff Bob Norris mentioned that the shooter appeared to be using a high-powered rifle from a concealed position within the rugged landscape. He instructed his deputies to return fire, expressing his hope that someone could take a shot at the suspect, who seemed unwilling to surrender.

First responders could be heard urgently calling for assistance: “Everybody’s shot up here… send law enforcement now,” stated one dispatch message. Governor Brad Little condemned the attack, labeling it a “heinous direct assault” on firefighters and urging Idahoans to pray for those affected and their families.

Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Firefighters, confirmed that a third firefighter was undergoing surgery. He described the attack as a “heinous act of violence” and mourned the loss of two firefighters, while the third remained in critical care.

The sheriff’s office in neighboring Shoshone County reported an ongoing threat, stating they were managing an active shooter situation with the suspect still at large. The fire was still burning, with no resources deployed to combat it at the moment.

The FBI has dispatched technical and tactical teams to assist on the ground, as announced by deputy director Dan Bongino. The Idaho House Republican Leadership expressed their horror and shock at the brutal attack on first responders, offering prayers for the victims and their families in this difficult time.

Canfield Mountain is a beloved destination for hiking and biking, located just outside of Coeur d’Alene, a charming city with a population of about 55,000 in northern Idaho.