At least two individuals believed to be first responders are dead and several others are wounded after at least one shooter attacked first responders in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in what’s being described as an ambush.
As of 7:30 p.m., the shooter or shooters were believed to be active, according to CNN.
CNN and GOP Idaho Gov. Brad Little reported the dead individuals were believed to be fire personnel, while the Idaho Tribune reported that two police officers were killed and that nine firefighters had been wounded, as well:
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…
— Brad Little (@GovernorLittle) June 29, 2025
What we know so far:
9 firefighters and 2 cops shot, conditions unknown.
All lifeflight on call.
All KC medical OR on call and being called in.
This info is *unconfirmed* but sourced via scanner traffic. Developing… https://t.co/wje3ZNYoKT pic.twitter.com/fxtZ5xBcuR
— Idaho Tribune (@IdahoTribune) June 29, 2025
Neither outlet could confirm this, however — and there seems to be a paucity of information regarding how many are injured or dead, or even how many shooters there are.
Was the FBI right to deploy assets to Coeur d’Alene?
“We don’t know if there’s one, two, three or four,” Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said during a media briefing, CNN reported. “We will neutralize this threat.”
Norris added that responders had reported bullets coming from different directions after responding to the brush fire on Canfield Mountain.
BREAKING
Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office in Northern Idaho reporting an active shooter incident.
Fire department says multiple firefighters shot and injured while responding to incident in Coeur d’Alene pic.twitter.com/xBmjJSAwYn
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) June 29, 2025
First responders were attempting to put out a half-acre blaze; they quickly reported that they were coming under what Norris described as “rapid fire.” The blaze is still active.
Audio of the firefighters realizing the situation was an ambush over the radio quickly circulated on social media.
WARNING: The following video contains language that some readers may find disturbing.
BREAKING – The initial radio call from first responders in Coeur d’Alene Idaho has been released capturing the moment they realized they were under fire and had walked into an ambush.
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) June 29, 2025
According to the Spokane, Washington Spokesman-Review, Northern Lakes Fire Chief Pat Riley confirmed that the responders had been felled by an “ambush-style active shooter.”
The fire began about 1:20 local time, and the firefighters were shot at 2 p.m. local time.
“This is going to likely be a multiday operation,” Norris said, per CNN. “It’s going to be a tough next couple hours. … I’m hoping that somebody has a clear shot and is able to neutralize because they are not, at this point in time, showing any evidence of wanting to surrender.”
He added that the shooters were using “modern day sporting rifles” and that officers were “actively taking sniper fire” as of the late afternoon, according to The Washington Post.
Kootenai County Emergency Management has advised people in the area to shelter in place, CNN reported. Given the situation, it’s unclear how many first responders and/or hikers and residents are still stuck or injured on the mountain.
Just after 4:15 p.m. in Coeur D’Alene, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced that federal agents were being sent to the area to help local law enforcement.
“FBI assets are headed to the scene in Coeur d’Alene to provide tactical and operational support,” he wrote in an X post. “It is an active scene.”
The scene of the incident is the Canfield Mountain Natural Area, described by CNN as “a 24-acre park on the east side of the city” with “several hiking and biking trails and heavy tree cover.”
Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho, a Republican, called the news “gut-wrenching.”
“As the situation develops, our thoughts and prayers are with the brave firefighters and all first responders on the scene,” he said in a statement on social media.
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