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A firefighting operation in the US state of Idaho turned deadly on Sunday after unknown assailants launched an ambush on emergency responders, killing at least two people during an ongoing gun battle, authorities said.
The shooting occurred in Kootenai County, where a wildfire continues to burn across a mountainside. Sheriff Robert Norris confirmed that the confrontation with the suspected gunman—or multiple gunmen—was still underway, with law enforcement officers returning fire under sniper attack.
“We now have two confirmed fatalities,” Norris told a press conference. “We don’t yet know the total number of casualties. Civilians are still being brought down from the mountain, and sniper fire is still ongoing.”
The sheriff added that the suspect or suspects showed no signs of intending to surrender. “If anyone has a clean shot, I encourage them to take it to neutralise the threat,” he said.
Although the victims have not been formally identified, authorities believe they were members of the firefighting team.
The local fire chief, Pat Riley, expressed devastation over the attack, telling regional broadcaster KHQ he was “heartbroken” by the tragedy. Despite the active fire, he noted that no evacuation orders had been issued.
Residents in the vicinity were urged to remain indoors until the situation was under control.
Mass shootings are a persistent issue in the United States, where gun control laws remain lax in many areas. The Gun Violence Archive reports that there have been 189 mass shootings in the country so far this year—defined as incidents in which four or more people, excluding the attacker, are killed or injured.
