In northern Idaho, USA, on June 29, a man started a forest fire and then opened fire with a rifle at firefighters who had arrived to put it out. Two of them were killed and another was injured. The shooter was later found dead.
The Associated Press,The Guardian, CNN, and BBC write about this.
The fire started on the eastern slope of Canfield Mountain. When firefighters arrived on the scene, they were caught in a “heavy fire” that lasted for several hours. Three injured people were taken to the hospital. Two of them died, and the third rescuer underwent surgery — he is “fighting for his life”, but his condition is stable.
After the firemen were ambushed and opened fire, about 300 law enforcement officers from various agencies arrived at the scene. The attacker also fired at them.
The suspect was found dead that evening, with a weapon nearby, Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said at a press conference. He said there was no threat to the community.
Police learned of the suspectʼs death by tracking a cell phone signal. Upon arrival, investigators discovered the body of the deceased man. He had been moved due to the spreading fire. Firefighters believe the suspect intentionally set the fire, which "unequivocally" affected the location where his body was found.
Previously, law enforcement officials believe that the shooter acted alone, but his name, cause of death and other details are not being released at this time, and the investigation is ongoing. Norris said that the shooter used a powerful, rapid-fire sporting rifle, and officers were initially unsure of the number of criminals involved.
Law enforcement will begin to create a psychological portrait of the deceased man, the authorities will gradually collect information about him. Law enforcement will most likely obtain search warrants in places associated with the deceased and "will begin to move in the opposite direction, building his profile". In this way, they will try to establish who he may have known, what people or groups he was associated with, and try to clarify the purpose of his attack.
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