TERRIFYING AMBUSH: Gunman opens fire on firefighters after luring them to blaze, Chilling 911 audio released

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From the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A man armed with a rifle started a wildfire Sunday and then began shooting at first responders in a northern Idaho mountain community, killing two firefighters and wounding a third during a barrage of gunfire over several hours that the governor called a “heinous” assault, authorities said. The gunman was later found dead with a weapon nearby.

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 with flames swiftly approaching where they found the suspect’s body with a firearm nearby, 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.

According to law enforcement, the firefighter crew had responded to a fire just north of Coeur d’Alene around 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Once they arrived and began fighting the fire, a gunman began shooting at them.

The attack left two firefighters dead and another seriously wounded.

Authorities later released the chilling audio of the 911 call, as firefighters desperately called for police to come help them.

“We got two unresponsive battalion chiefs, gunshot wounds, multiple gunshot wounds, two Coeur d’Alene firefighters are down!” the firefighter is heard frantically telling the 911 operator.

“It’s clear to me that this fire was set intentionally to draw us in,” he says.

LISTEN BELOW:

Once the body of the suspect was discovered, authorities said they had to quickly “scoop up” the body before it was burned by the fire.  Firefighters then had to rush to get the fire under control which they said the gunman had started.

Multiple vehicles and firetrucks were seen stopped on the overpass bridge, as people stood in quiet respect while a procession of firefighter, law enforcement and emergency vehicles accompanied the bodies of the two firefighters who were killed.

Another video taken by someone watching from the bridge was also posted to social media:

Police shared additional details about the terrifying ambush in a press conference Sunday night:

 

READ MORE from the Associated Press.

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