‘Total Ambush’: Idaho Firefighters Gunned Down, Suspect Found Dead In Apparent Trap

The man suspected of killing two Idaho firefighters during an ambush on Sunday was found dead with a gunshot wound.

The man is believed to have deliberately set a grass fire at Canfield Mountain in northern Idaho and then started shooting at firefighters when they responded. Two firefighters were killed, and a third is fighting for his life after sustaining serious injuries. 

Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris did not release any identifying information on the suspect, but said that he was found with a weapon and that law enforcement had tracked him using his cell phone. 

“We had a cell phone activation that was in the same spot since about 3:16 [p.m.], and that it was in the same area,” Norris said at a press conference. “And we honed in on that cellphone, and we saw that there was a male, appeared to be deceased, with a weapon nearby.”

He said that the cell phone signal was tracked with help from federal resources, including helicopters. 

“There are some helicopters that had some really good technology that were able to pinpoint where that cellphone activity was,” Norris said. “So yeah, there were our federal partners assisting us in this situation.” 

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Norris said that they had not yet identified a motive, but the attack was an intentional ambush. He added that law enforcement had to act quickly to recover the suspect’s body as the fire continued to spread and that they expected to find more weapons near the scene after the blaze was fully contained. 

The two firefighters killed were from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and the Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. The names have not yet been released to allow time for family notification. 

“This was a total ambush,” Norris said. “These firefighters did not have a chance.”

At one point, there were more than 300 law enforcement officers on the scene Sunday afternoon, including FBI agents. Norris said law enforcement exchanged gunfire with the suspect, but it was not known if he was killed by law enforcement or if he shot himself. 

Based on the current information, investigators believe there was only one shooter and that there was no active threat to the community. Norris thanked the White House, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, and Republican Governor Brad Little for assisting in the response. 

“Multiple heroic firefighters were attacked today while responding to a fire in North Idaho. This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,” Little posted on X. “I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more. Teresa and I are heartbroken.”