Latest news with #SheriffBobNorris
Khaleej Times
11 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Two US firefighters shot dead while responding to Idaho blaze
Two firefighters were shot dead while responding to a fire in northern Idaho and the body of a man was later found with a gun nearby, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said on Sunday, as it lifted a shelter-in-place order. Sheriff Bob Norris had earlier said law enforcement officers and firefighters were taking sniper fire and urged people to stay clear of the area around Canfield Mountain, a nature zone popular with hikers near Coeur d'Alene, about 260 miles (420km) east of Seattle. "This evening, members of the SWAT team located a deceased male on Canfield Mountain. A firearm was found nearby," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "At this time, the shelter in place is being lifted, however there is still an active wildfire on Canfield Mountain. Residents in the area are advised to be prepared and ready should further action need to be taken." The sheriff said the shooter had used high-powered sporting rifles to fire rapidly at first responders, with law enforcement initially unsure of the number of perpetrators involved. They were in a spot "with heavy brush and they are well prepared and blending in with their surroundings," Norris added. Law enforcement is investigating whether the fire could have been intentionally set in order to lure first responders to the scene, Kootenai County Sheriff's Lt. Jeff Howard told ABC News. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been briefed on the Idaho shooting, ABC News reported. Video footage from the scene had earlier showed smoke billowing from heavily wooded hillsides and armed responders preparing, while several ambulances and emergency vehicles were seen entering a nearby hospital. "FBI technical teams and tactical assets are currently on the scene providing support," FBI deputy director Dan Bongino wrote on X. "It remains an active, and very dangerous scene." Firefighters received the first call of a fire around 1.21pm (2021 GMT), Norris said, and about 40 minutes later, reports emerged that they were being shot at. "This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters," Idaho Governor Brad Little said on X. "I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more." Gun ownership is widespread in the US, where the country's Constitution protects the rights of Americans to "keep and bear arms." Deaths related to gun violence are common - 17,927 people were murdered by a gun in 2023 in the US, according to the most recent available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
2 killed in sniper ambush as Idaho firefighters come under siege from rifle fire
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Two firefighters were killed Sunday when they were ambushed by sniper fire while responding to a blaze in a northern Idaho mountain community, as crews endured a barrage of gunfire over several hours that the governor called a 'heinous' assault. No arrests were announced. The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said crews responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d'Alene around 1:30 p.m., and gunshots were reported about a half hour later. Sheriff Bob Norris said officials didn't know if anyone else was shot. 'We don't know how many suspects are up there, and we don't know how many casualties there are,' Norris told reporters at a 4:30 p.m. news conference. 'We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak.' People are still coming off the mountain, the sheriff said, so it 'would be safe to assume' that others were still up there. Gov. Brad Little said 'multiple' firefighters were attacked. 'This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,' Little said on the social platform X. 'I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.' 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. 'I'm hoping that somebody has a clear shot and is able to neutralize, because they're not at this point in time showing any evidence of wanting to surrender,' the sheriff said. An alert by the Kootenai County Emergency Management Office asked people to avoid the area around Canfield Mountain Trailhead and Nettleton Gulch Road, about 4 miles (6.5 km) north of downtown Coeur d'Alene. The fire was still active, Norris said. 'It's going to keep burning,' he said. 'Can't put any resources on it right now.' The FBI has responded to the scene with technical teams and tactical support, Deputy Director Dan Bongino said. 'It remains an active, and very dangerous scene,' he wrote in a post on X. The Idaho House Republican Leadership said in a statement: 'We are horrified by the murder of two firefighters in Coeur d'Alene, and shocked by such a vicious attack on our first responders. We are praying for them, the injured, their families and their colleagues.' Coeur d'Alene is a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Canfield Mountain is a popular hiking and biking area on the outskirts, covered with trees and heavy brush and crisscrossed with trails. ___ Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalists Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.
The Independent
14 hours ago
- The Independent
2 killed in sniper ambush as Idaho firefighters come under siege from rifle fire
Firefighters were ambushed by sniper fire while responding to a blaze in a northern Idaho mountain community Sunday, killing at least two people and unleashing barrages of gunfire over several hours in an attack the governor called a 'heinous' assault. The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said crews responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d'Alene around 1:30 p.m. and gunshots were reported about a half hour later. Sheriff Bob Norris said officials believe the two people killed were fire personnel. He didn't know if anyone else was shot. 'We don't know how many suspects are up there, and we don't know how many casualties there are,' Norris told reporters at a 4:30 p.m. news conference. 'We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak.' People are still coming off the mountain, the sheriff said, so it 'would be safe to assume' that others were still up there. Gov. Brad Little said 'multiple' firefighters were attacked. 'This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,' Little said on the social platform X. 'I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.' 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. 'I'm hoping that somebody has a clear shot and is able to neutralize, because they're not at this point in time showing any evidence of wanting to surrender,' the sheriff said. An alert by the Kootenai County Emergency Management Office asked people to avoid the area around Canfield Mountain Trailhead and Nettleton Gulch Road, about 4 miles (6.5 km) north of downtown Coeur d'Alene. The fire was still active, Norris said. 'It's going to keep burning,' he said. 'Can't put any resources on it right now.' Coeur d'Alene is a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Canfield Mountain is a popular hiking and biking area on the outskirts of the northern Idaho city, covered with trees and heavy brush and crisscrossed with trails.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Two killed and firefighters attacked by active shooter ‘sniper fire' in Idaho
An armed individual or individuals shot at multiple firefighters responding to a brush fire near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on Sunday, likely killing two first responders, according to officials. 'Multiple heroic firefighters were attacked today while responding to a fire in North Idaho,' Governor Brad Little wrote on X. 'This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters. I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.' The ambush took place as fire crews were responding to a brush fire on Canfield Mountain. The suspect or suspects is still at large. Two died as a result of the shooting, Sheriff Bob Norris said at a Sunday afternoon press briefing, and the official said he believed but hadn't been able to fully confirm they were firefighters. No police officers have been hit in the shooting, he said. Others were injured in the shooting, though an official count is yet to be published. The sheriff added that officials are unsure the total number of suspects, and warned the crisis could spiral into a 'multi-day situation' if the threat isn't headed off quickly. 'I'm hoping somebody has a clear shot and is able to neutralize them,' he added. 'They are not at this point showing any evidence of wanting to surrender.' The police official said the shooting appeared to come from a high-powered rifle. Pat Riley, Northern Lakes fire chief, told the Idaho Statesman multiple firefighters were hit by an 'ambush-style active shooter.' The incident is under investigation and considered an active shooter situation, with shelter in place orders for Canfield Mountain Trailhead and the surrounding area, the Kootenai County Sheriff's office told ABC News. The shooting took place around 2pm and multiple shots were fired, according to the sheriff's office. Police are probing whether the fire was set to lure first responders to the area. The FBI is assisting with the response to the shooting, as is the Spokane County, Washington, sheriff's office. Bystanders are reportedly still coming down from the mountain. Fire crews are unable to begin fully battling the blaze until the security threat is over, according to officials. This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Yahoo
Two dead in Spokane Valley crime spree, including suspect and good Samaritan who intervened
Jun. 15—Police shot and killed a man in Spokane Valley after he went on a crime spree Sunday morning that included killing a good Samaritan, stealing a family's vehicle and intentionally hitting a motorcyclist with it, officials said. The crime spree started across the state line in Kootenai County around 8:30 a.m. Sheriff Bob Norris said at a news conference that a call came in saying a suspect stole a vehicle from a father and daughter on East Sprague Avenue near Whistle Stop Coffee Shop and then fled east toward Idaho. Police chased after the stolen Dodge Challenger, and a news release said the suspect reached an estimated 140 mph. In the Stateline area, deputies said the suspect was doing donuts with the stolen vehicle before seeing a motorcyclist and intentionally striking him. Norris said the motorcyclist was moderately injured but will be OK. The suspect attempted to steal multiple other vehicles, and at one point a bystander tried to help one of the car owners, when the suspect pulled out an AR-15-style rifle, shooting and killing the bystander, Norris said. The suspect then fled back west on Interstate 90 toward Spokane Valley and allegedly shot out a window at a pursuing law enforcement car. Officers deployed a spike strip, which flattened the suspect's tires, but he continued to drive around 80 mph before crashing into a bystander's vehicle and a Washington State Trooper car that was there for an unrelated crash. The man got out of the vehicle at the intersection of Trent Avenue and Pines Road carrying a firearm. Officers then opened fire, killing him. He was given medical aid, the release said, but was pronounced dead at the scene. The sheriff's office said the suspect's name will be released by the Spokane County Medical Examiner's Office, along with details on the death . Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said the suspect did not have a strong criminal background and the motive for the crime is unknown. Police will continue to investigate, and the road was expected to remain remain closed until that is complete. "I want to emphasize how professionally, how swiftly and how decisively law enforcement acted in this very dangerous moment," Nowels said. "They didn't hesitate, and I'm very proud of them.
