According to officials, a gunman shot at firefighters responding to a fire in the state of Idaho killing at least two people in the country.
About 12:30 p.m. (3:30 GMT) on Sunday, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office reported a fire at Canfield Mountain, north of the city of Coeur d’Alene, and about 12:30 p.m. (3:30 GMT).
Authorities believe the two people killed to be fire personnel, according to Sheriff Bob Norris. He was unsure whether anyone else had been shot.
The sheriff urged the public to stay away from the area because it was unclear whether there had been one or more gunmen.
Norris told reporters, “We don’t know how many suspects are up there and how many casualties are there.” As of right now, we are actively launching sniper fire.
Near Coeur d’Alene, a city of 57, 000 people, is about 260 miles (420 km) east of Seattle in Washington state, where hikers frequently hike.
The shooter or shooters “are not, at this time, showing any evidence of wanting to surrender,” according to Norris, who claimed the shooters “were using high-powered sporting rifles to fire quickly at first responders.”
The attacker appeared to be using a powerful rifle to conceal himself in the rugged terrain, according to the sheriff. He claimed that he had given deputies a warning to react.
This will likely be a multi-day operation if these individuals aren’t quickly neutralized, he added.
“Many” firefighters were attacked, according to Idaho Governor Brad Little.
He declared on X, “This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters.” As we wait to learn more, I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families.
Little provided no further information about the incident’s circumstances or the casualties.
Please stay away from the area so that law enforcement and firefighters can perform their jobs as this situation is still developing, Little advised.
According to Kootenai County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Jeff Howard, law enforcement is looking into whether the fire was intentionally intended to entice first responders, according to ABC News.
Kristi Noem, the secretary of defense to the Department of Homeland Security, was reportedly informed about the shooting.
Technical teams and tactical support were dispatched to the scene, according to the FBI.
Dan Bongino, the agency’s deputy director, wrote in a post on X that “it continues to be a very active and dangerous scene.”
The US Constitution protects Americans’ right to “keep and bear arms,” which is a widespread practice there.
Source: Aljazeera
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