Ambush Attack Leaves Two Firefighters Dead, One Wounded

Police in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho say the suspect in an ambush attack on firefighters took his own life on Sunday, after holding police at bay for several hours. 

The suspect, who authorities believe was acting alone, is believed to have started a fire Canfield Mountain just north of the city in an effort to lure first responders to the scene. About a half hour after the blaze was first reported, the firefighters were ambushed.

A shelter-in-place order was lifted Sunday night after a tactical response team used cell phone data to “hone in” on a wooded area where they found the suspect’s body with a firearm nearby as flames rapidly approached, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said. 

Officials did not release his name, nor did they say what kind of gun was found. 

“We do believe that the suspect started the fire, and we do believe that it was an ambush and it was intentional,” Norris said at a Sunday night news conference. “These firefighters did not have a chance.” 

… Norris said it appeared the sniper was hiding in the rugged terrain and using a high-powered rifle. He said he instructed deputies to fire back.

Two of the responding firefighters were killed, while a third who was targeted has been hospitalized and at last report is stable after having surgery. 

Of course it didn’t take long for the gun control vultures to seize on this incident. 

BREAKING: Multiple firefighters have been shot while responding to a brush fire in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. At least two people have been killed.

Our hearts are with all those impacted as we await more information. This can’t keep happening.https://t.co/DfUYL765bR

— GIFFORDS (@GIFFORDS_org) June 30, 2025

“Keep” happening? Is Giffords aware of a spate of similar attacks on firefighters? As far as I know, the ambush in Coeur d’Alene was completely out of the ordinary. There were some reports of first responders coming under fire during the George Floyd-inspired riots in 2020, but targeted attacks like the one that played out yesterday are incredibly rare occurances. 

Note too that Giffords declined to offer any suggestions about what gun control law would have prevented this attack. Authorities haven’t said yet what kind of rifle the attacker used, but given his ability to shoot from cover in wooded and mountainous terrain, the type of rifle really doesn’t matter. Even a bolt-action rifle would have sufficed to carry out an attack like this. 

There’s not a gun law on the books, even in restrictive states like California or New York, that would have stopped the suspect from carrying out his ambush on firefighters. I’m curious to see if the suspect had exhibited any warning signs or even communicated threats beforehand, because that might have provided authorities with the chance to take him into custody before shots were fired, but “universal” background checks, waiting periods, or even a ban on so-called assault weapons wouldn’t have stopped the killer from illegally obtaining a gun and using it to carry out his killing spree. 

To the gun control lobby, though, specifics don’t matter. This was a tragedy involving a gun, so they think its fair game to exploit these murders, even if they’re silent on a gun control solution. It’s utterly repugnant, but it’s a standard part of their playbook.