A dead man with a gun near him was found by SWAT team members called to Idaho after a shooting incident against firefighters participating in a firefighting operation that left two people dead.
Although the authorities did not mention the perpetrator in their statement, after the dead man was identified, the measures were lifted due to the previous shootings.
Two dead after shooting at Idaho firefighters – A man with a gun was also found dead
Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris had announced earlier that "we have two dead" and the number of "casualties" still remains "unknown", as "we are coming under fire" from a sniper or snipers in the midst of a firefighting operation in a mountainous area of the Coeur d'Alene area, a city of 57.000 residents some 420 kilometers east of Seattle, in Washington state.
Sheriff Norris had even urged law enforcement to "shoot to neutralize the threat," asking citizens to stay away from the area.
This is a "despicable" attack against "our courageous firefighters," Idaho Governor Brad Little said via X, declaring himself "shocked" and calling on his fellow citizens to "pray for the firefighters and their families" and also warning them not to approach the area to allow the fire department to complete its firefighting work.
County Fire Chief Pat Riley said he was "heartbroken" about the attack on local television network KHQ.
An investigation is underway to determine whether the fire was caused by arson to attract firefighters to the area, Deputy Sheriff Jeff Howard told ABC News.
Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem was briefed on the incident, also according to ABC News.
Source: protothema.gr
