It was supposed to be just another wildfire response, routine for Idaho’s bravest, who’ve spent summers battling blazes in the rugged backcountry. But on June 29, 2025, a call to Canfield Mountain turned into something far darker: a sniper’s trap. Within minutes, gunfire echoed through the smoke, turning a rescue mission into a massacre. Now, as investigators piece together what happened, the state is left grappling with an unthinkable question: who would target the very people rushing in to save lives? The answer, it turns out, lies with a lone gunman whose final act was as cowardly as it was cruel.
The Attack: A Calculated Ambush on Heroes
It started with fire and ended in bloodshed. On June 29, 2025, a quiet mountain in northern Idaho became the scene of a horrific, premeditated attack on first responders. Canfield Mountain, a popular hiking spot near Coeur d’Alene, was the stage for a chilling ambush, one that left two firefighters dead, a third fighting for his life, and a community reeling in shock.
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The shooter’s plan was brutal in its simplicity. Authorities say he intentionally set a brush fire, luring firefighters into a trap. When they arrived, he opened fire with a high-powered rifle, picking them off as they tried to do their jobs. Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris didn’t mince words: “This was a total ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance.”
BREAKING: Multiple firefighters shot in apparent ambush while responding to brush fire in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, local media reports; suspect at largepic.twitter.com/Yxu4Tz3POK
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 29, 2025
For hours, chaos ruled the mountain. Firefighters radioed in panic, unsure where the shots were coming from. Law enforcement scrambled to respond, with over 300 officers, local, state, and federal, converging on the scene. Helicopters with snipers circled overhead, ready to take out the threat. Civilians were told to shelter in place as the manhunt intensified.
Then, a break in the case. Authorities tracked a cell phone signal that had been pinging in the same spot since mid-afternoon. When SWAT teams moved in, they found a man’s body near a firearm, just as flames from the wildfire closed in. The scene was so dangerous that they had to “scoop up” the body quickly before the fire destroyed evidence.
The Aftermath: A Dead Suspect, a Grieving State
By late Sunday night, officials confirmed the active shooter was dead, but how he died remains unclear. Did he turn the gun on himself? Was he hit in the exchange of gunfire with police? The coroner’s office will have to determine that. What we do know is that investigators believe he acted alone. The weapon found near him, along with the trajectory of the bullets, suggests no accomplices were involved.
🚨 BREAKING: The Idaho shooter has been NEUTRALIZED, per Kootenai County Sheriff
THANK GOD!
He was found deceased on the hillside with a firearm nearby. pic.twitter.com/t70e1kzkFF
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 30, 2025
As for his identity? That’s still a mystery. Authorities haven’t released a name, age, or possible motive. Was this a targeted attack, or was he simply looking to kill first responders? Sheriff Norris admitted they don’t even know if the shooter was the one who called 911 to report the fire in the first place.
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Meanwhile, the human toll is devastating. Two firefighters, one from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, another from Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, lost their lives. A third is in stable condition but still “fighting for his life” after surgery. Their names haven’t been released, but their sacrifice hasn’t gone unnoticed. A solemn procession carried their bodies to Spokane, with fellow first responders and residents lining the streets in tribute.
Idaho Governor Brad Little called the attack “a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,” and the grief has rippled far beyond the state. The FBI, ATF, and even federal homeland security officials joined the investigation, underlining just how shocking this crime was.
But some questions linger. The fire that the shooter set? It’s still burning, now covering about 20 acres. The manhunt may be over, but the scars, both on the land and the people, won’t fade anytime soon.
One thing’s certain: This wasn’t just an attack on firefighters. It was an attack on the very idea of safety, on the trust that when you call for help, heroes will come, not walk into a death trap. And as Idaho mourns, the rest of the country is left wondering: How could this happen? And worse—could it happen again?
