A shooter started a fire in the north of the American state of Idaho and opened fire on the firefighters who responded. Two people were killed and one person was seriously injured. The alleged shooter also died.
The incident took place in the town of Coeur d’Alene in northern Idaho. The shooter hid in a densely vegetated part of the forest when he opened fire on the firefighters. The forest, near Canfield Mountain, is a popular hiking destination.
The shooter allegedly shot not only at the firefighters, but also at other emergency responders who came to help after the shooting. No one was injured, writes NBC News. Not much later, the police found the body of a man. A weapon was also found near him.
The police assume that he is the shooter and deliberately started the fire to lure the firefighters. He is believed to have acted alone and used sporting rifles to fire shots in quick succession. The man’s motive is still unclear.
The governor of Idaho, Brad Little, calls the shooting “a horrific attack on our brave firefighters.” The local sheriff speaks of a surprise attack. “These firefighters had no chance.”
The arson fire has not yet been extinguished and has grown into a wildfire of approximately 8 hectares. That is equivalent to more than three football fields.