'Everyone's shot up': Idaho shooting distress call emerges as police say suspect started blaze intentionally, then fired at responders

The suspect in the shooting of firefighters in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho had intentionally set off a blaze in the Canfield Mountain, and then shot at the responders, officials said as a chilling audio call from the incident emerged, with one voice saying 'everyone is shot up'. Firefighters from three companies were responding to the blaze in the Canfield Mountain Natural Area on Sunday (June 29) when they were shot at. Two firefighters were killed and one was wounded. Some 20 acres of land were on fire in the mountain.

Distress call reveals harrowing moments

Audio from the ambush revealed the harrowing moments when the firefighters were attacked. "They're shot. BC3's down. BC1's down. Everybody's shot up here," one person could be heard saying in the recording.

In the call, somebody declared an emergency situation, describing the scene as an 'active shooter at a fire."
"We need law enforcement up here immediately...two battalion chiefs down," the caller said, adding, “I'm pinned down.”

The caller also said, "It's clear to me that this fire was set intentionally to draw us in."

'Totally intentional': Idaho wildfire was deliberately started, says Sheriff

Local authorities said that the suspect, who was later found dead along with a gun, deliberately started the fire, and then ambushed the firefighters.

"We do believe the suspect started the fire, it was an ambush and it was totally intentional. These firefighters did not have a chance," said Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris.

The body of the suspected sniper and his gun were found by locating signals from his cell phone. At the time of writing this, the suspect has not been officially identified.

Single shooter did the ambush

Earlier reports had suggested the presence of multiple shooters, but Norris said the ambush was carried out by only one person. "Based on the preliminary investigation, we believe that is the only shooter on the mountain at that time," he said, adding there is no threat to the community at this time.
"We believe that there was only one shooter, based on weapons found, and type of injuries incurred from that weapon," Norris said.

How the Idaho shooting unfolded

The wildfire was reported at 1:21 p.m local time on Sunday. As the three battalions of firefighers approached the scene, sniper gunfire erupted around 2 p.m. The body of the suspect was found after 3:15 p.m.

Authorities said they did not believe that the shooter had made the 911 call, which reported the fire.

Cops unable to process what happened, brushfire continues

"This is a situation where a lot of people in this room haven't processed this," said Norris, even as Idaho Governor Brad Little described the shooting as "a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters." He urged caution and prayers.

As the fire crews had to retreat due to the ambush, the brushfire continued to burn across acres of land on the mountain, and remained dangerous. The FBI also responded to the scene.

One injured firefighter underwent surgery and was in stable condition, Norris said.