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Two Fatally Shot While Responding to Brush Fire in Idaho; Dead Man with Fireman Found Near Fire Scene; Marathon Senate Debate Underway on Trump Agenda Bill. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired June 30, 2025 - 00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

[00:00:30]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour here. I'm Erica Hill in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thanks for joining us here to our viewers in the United States and all around the world, as we continue to follow this breaking news out of Idaho, where authorities earlier today were responding to an active shooter situation.

Authorities now say the body of a man has been found on Canfield Mountain with a firearm nearby. That discovery coming hours after firefighters were attacked in that very park when responding to a brush fire. This was happening in the city of Coeur d'Alene, Iowa.

A firefighters union says at least two of its members were killed. One is in surgery.

The shelter-in-place order that had been in effect has now been lifted. The wildfire, though, on the mountain, is continuing to burn.

We do expect to get a further update at a press conference a little bit later this hour. We'll, of course, bring you those developments live.

CNN's Rafael Romo has been following the developments throughout the day for us and joins us now live with the very latest. Rafael, what more do we know at this hour?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, on top of everything that has been happening there in the last few hours, Kootenai County emergency management is reminding residents that a wildfire is still active on Canfield Mountain, urging local residents to be prepared in case the situation escalates.

The deputy fire chief in Coeur d'Alene said earlier that resources would not be dedicated to fighting the wildfire until the threat from an active shooter or shooters was neutralized.

Now there appears to be the kind of major development officials were hoping for, Erica. Kootenai County just issued a statement that says that members of the SWAT team located a deceased male on Canfield Mountain. A firearm was found nearby, they say. And as we reported last hour, officers were seen leaving the area

following the discovery of that dead man on Canfield Mountain.

A local journalist also told us that there was a procession for firefighters in preparation for Coeur d'Alene to go to Spokane to honor local firefighters killed in the line of duty.

Civilians and hikers were also seen leaving the park.

As for the shooting itself, Erica, we heard earlier from Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris that law enforcement at the scene were reporting fire coming from multiple directions. The sheriff also said that there's an unknown number of casualties and that law enforcement were taking sniper fire.

Sheriff Norris also said that they don't know how many shooters they were dealing with, if it's only one or several, but he did say that it appears that the perpetrator or perpetrators are using high-powered rifles, and the officers are taking rapid fire.

Again, it appears that the situation may be coming to an end, but we still have to wait for that official word from authorities, in probably about 30 minutes from now -- Erica.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. Rafael. Appreciate it.

Also with us this hour, Bill Bailey, who's the assistant managing editor for "The Coeur d'Alene Press."

Bill, it's good to have you with us this hour. I'm wondering if you're hearing from your sources there on the ground whether there has been any confirmation at this point as to if authorities believe now that this attack may have been carried out by one person?

BILL BAILEY, ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR, "COEUR D'ALENE PRESS" (via phone): Yes. That is correct. They believe it was one person.

HILL: And -- and is there confirmation at this time that they believe that one person is -- is the deceased man who was found on the mountain, or they're not there yet?

BAILEY (via phone): Well, they have found a man who was, yes, as you said, deceased in the mountain with a firearm nearby. They have not identified him yet as the shooter. But they believe it is him.

HILL: Just set the scene for us, if you could there. You know, in speaking to local folks in the area, other local reporters, this is also a difficult area. And this would have been a difficult area for law enforcement as this situation was unfolding, given the fact that it's on a mountain, given that there was, of course, this brush fire, as well, that they weren't able to respond to with an active shooter.

And just the sheer number of people who may have been in the park, given that it was a beautiful Sunday in the summer.

How did all of that come into play for law enforcement as they were trying to secure the area, and also make sure that -- that everyone remained safe?

BAILEY (via phone): Well, they -- they did not attempt to put out the wildfire. They just -- they had to just let that burn, because they couldn't risk sending firefighters in there again.

And then after that, they cleared the mountain, really, as best they could, which wasn't -- there wasn't a lot they could do to get up into the mountain, because they were still dealing with an active shooter.

[00:05:10]

So, they at one point thought there were -- maybe people were still up in the mountain hiding from the shooter. They weren't really sure.

They did what they could to get their people down safely and to get anybody else out safely.

But it was a tense situation, because there was -- without knowing where the shooter was, who they were dealing with, they -- they had to be a little bit cautious at first.

HILL: Yes. And a local resident I spoke with earlier whose wife is -- is in Canfield Mountain Park probably three days a week, we're told, he was saying it also seemed there would be a lot of places for people to hide in that park. Would you agree? Just -- just walk us through, if you could, what it's like in this Canfield Mountain Nature Park.

BAILEY (via phone): I mean, it's just a park with a lot of hills and -- and brush and trees. I mean, yes, somebody could hide up there. But they did have hundreds of officers, so I don't think you would have been able to hide very long, which is why I think they were able to neutralize the situation in a matter of hours.

HILL: Right. It was a remarkable show of force in terms of not only local officials and law enforcement responding, but also very quickly, the FBI on scene. The ATF was sent, as well.

Part of that has to do with the proximity. You know, I spoke with a retired FBI supervisory special agent, who was saying there is a small office there in Coeur d'Alene. You also have Spokane, which is only 30 miles away.

BAILEY (via phone): Yes.

HILL: All of that really important in this moment.

BAILEY (via phone): Yes. So, they had a lot of officers. I don't know if your question was -- they did have, you know, hundreds of officers from Idaho and from Washington on the scene.

HILL: And how -- how closely do these areas typically work together?

BAILEY (via phone): Well, I don't -- I probably couldn't answer that one as well as they could. But I will say that there is a good cooperation between the Idaho and the Washington law officers. So -- and they are ready to respond to help each other as needed. HILL: Yes. And can you also just give us a sense of what is -- what is

the community like? We saw some very moving images earlier of a procession which -- in which we could see a hearse, right, coming out of the park, not long after it had been announced that a deceased man had been found on the mountain.

And people lining the street there, young families with young children waving American flags as this very somber procession went by. Can you just tell us a little bit more about the community?

BAILEY (via phone): Well, I was -- I just came back from that procession outside of Kootenai Health, the hospital, and they were on their way to Spokane.

And it was very moving to see all the people that came out, and they just kept coming out, even after the procession was gone. People kept coming out to stand along the highway and hold their flags, and they just stand there with their arms around each other.

So, it's -- I think a lot of people were hit hard to think that this could happen, one, to the firefighters, the frontline guys who are there to protect them. And -- and they -- they know these firefighters. You know, it isn't -- Coeur d'Alene is a pretty small community. People know who these frontline guys are and -- and hold them in a great amount of respect.

So -- so when this happens, I think a lot of people were really shaken and just really wanted to come out and show their support for the firefighters and for their families.

HILL: Yes, it is -- it is the last thing many people would expect. And clearly, a deep amount of -- of respect for those first responders in town.

Bill, really appreciate it. Thank you.

BAILEY (via phone): You're welcome. Thank you.

HILL: Also with me this hour, Jason Pack. He's a retired FBI supervisory special agent, also a former firefighter and a current first responder.

Jason, good to have you back with us this hour. As we wait for further confirmation and more details at this press conference, which we're expecting in the next few minutes, what stands out to you, given how -- how quickly we saw, after that procession? Right. We know that the shelter in place was lifted. The sheer amount of -- of law enforcement that responded.

How much do you think all that came into play in getting us to this point so quickly?

JASON PACK, RETIRED FBI SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT: Well, you want to have overwhelming force when you're going up against anybody who is outgunning you and out-positioning you for sure. So, there's no doubt that that overwhelming force played a role. And as far as the news conference, we're taking a look at the podium

there, the sheriff set to step up to the podium here in about 30 minutes. He's probably having to go back and rewrite his talking points and the remarks he's going to deliver, because things seem to be happening pretty rapidly the past 90 minutes or so.

So, probably, what they were going to say has changed now to what they would hope they've been able to say. And hopefully, we'll hear them talk about lifting the shelter-in-place order and where things go from here, if, in fact, what we believe has taken place; is the neutralization of the gunman.

[00:10:08]

You know, the investigation still has to go on, though, Erica. That's probably -- there's going to be forensic investigations going on. The -- they'll probably lock the mountain down, try to fight the fire, make it safe for the crime scene folks to go up there tomorrow at first light and start processing this as a crime scene.

There may not be anybody to prosecute, but you want to make sure that you do this thoroughly. You want to be able to match forensics and ballistics from the weapon that was found near this person; if there were any shell casings nearby and whatever rounds may have been fatally wounding the firefighters.

So, you want to make sure that you dot every "I" and cross every "T" in these types of investigations.

And now, as we go on to find out the who and the why, questions start rolling in now. And those will be questions that will be answered in the coming days, as they finish up fighting the fire on the mountain. And then unfortunately, have these two firefighter funerals to prepare for, as well.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. And I do want to talk about that. But sticking with the investigation for just one moment, the why is always -- is always the tough part, right? Especially if, in fact, the body that was found does -- if it is confirmed to belong to the shooter.

We don't always know the why. There aren't -- there isn't always a really clear reason, as much as we would always like to find one.

Part of what will already be happening, I would imagine, is they're already -- if there is some sort of identification that they have on the person that they found, they will already be going through any social media, any digital trail that may be out there, perhaps any next of kin. All of that is already underway.

PACK: Absolutely. They're doing exactly what the public does and the journalists do: try to hit the person's social media accounts, if they have them, and work from that point backwards to identify associates, anyone with whom he may have been in contact with, if, in fact, this is the person.

And of course, with the caveat we're waiting to get the official information from the official folks at the -- at the bottom of the hour here at the press conference.

But having said all that, that will start leading to answers that may be as to why. You're absolutely right, Erica. Though sometimes you just never get to the real why. There are bits and pieces, every situation. And every case I've been involved with is a little bit different and has its own merits. There's not a one-size-fits-all why.

But you can ask some questions like why set the fire to draw them, the firefighters, to the scene to ambush them? Did they --did this person know the firefighters? Is there some other factors that we don't know? These are all questions that investigators hope to answer in the coming days.

HILL: And in terms of those firefighters who -- who were killed, and we know -- we're told one is still in the hospital. This is, as I was just talking about with Bill -- this is an incredibly tough moment for a community, because these are members of the community. These are, you know, first responders who have chosen to serve their community, to keep people safe, to respond. When everybody else, you know, would run away, they're the ones who go in to -- to help their community, to save the day.

This is a really tough loss that will also -- they'll begin to grieve in the community in the coming days.

PACK: You're absolutely right. And just working -- I've been on an ambulance for almost 32 years now, off and on. And knowing the same people in the E.R. here in Knoxville and the fire stations around here, you know people.

You bring people in on -- to the hospital five or six times a shift, if not more. You know, battalion chiefs and people who have worked there have been in these agencies for quite some time and are probably well-known to -- to many people throughout the community.

So, it is an especially tough loss, knowing that they're not going to bring a patient into the E.R. anymore or they won't be able to see them anymore. And just try to remember the good times. And all the -- all the firefighters have funny stories, and this is not a time to laugh, but sometimes, gallows humor helps first responders get through crisis and get through stress and trauma.

So, just remembering the good times and just remembering all the service and sacrifices these folks have made to their communities will be what we'll be hearing about in the coming days.

HILL: Yes, it's an important part of remembering the whole person. Right? And the important life that they lived.

Jason, appreciate it. Thank you.

PACK: Sure. Thanks, Erica.

HILL: As we continue to follow developments out of Washington, D.C., it is a long night ahead for senators as they continue to debate President Trump's massive tax and spending bill. We'll get you up to speed on the latest details, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:18:28]

HILL: More now on the breaking news. Police in Idaho say a man has been found dead in a park where an active shooter situation was taking place. A firearm was found near the body.

The shelter-in-place order that was in effect has now been lifted.

Any moment now, we're actually expecting to hear an update from law enforcement. We're going to bring that to you as it happens.

All of this unfolding, of course, hours after authorities say firefighters were attacked when responding to a brush fire call in Coeur d'Alene, Iowa. That happened -- the call came in around 1:20. At 2 p.m., the call came in that the firefighters had been ambushed.

The International Association of Firefighters say two of its members were shot and killed. A third is now in surgery.

Police had earlier said they were unsure at the time whether there was more than one shooter. We're hoping for some more clarification when we do hear from officials again just a short time from now.

As for that brush fire, it has not yet been put out. It is still burning. So, we're also following that.

Meantime, we're keeping a close watch on what's happening in Washington, D.C., where senators have been debating President Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill for hours. Republican leaders pushing to get a final version of that bill passed by July 4th.

Of course, it's not just the Senate. Lot of things need to happen here to meet that self-imposed deadline that the president put out there.

But there's also hope for some stronger support from Republican holdouts who want some changes. Late Saturday night, Senate Republicans cleared their first big hurdle in a dramatic procedural vote. It managed to squeak through, 51 to 49.

A number of Republicans, though, raising concerns about the bill's spending levels. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Senate version of this package would cost far more than the House approved Bill, adding more than $3 trillion to the deficit.

[00:20:10]

For more on what comes next, here's Julia Benbrook in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN NEWSOURCE CORRESPONDENT: Over the weekend, Senate Republicans took a major step toward passing President Donald Trump's massive agenda package --

BENBROOK (voice-over): -- or the so-called One Big, Beautiful Bill. Trump called the procedural vote a great victory, but there are still potential roadblocks ahead.

Only two Republican senators, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, voted against advancing this bill. Hours later, Tillis announced that he will not seek reelection.

But there were several other GOP lawmakers --

BENBROOK: -- who have voiced concerns throughout the process. This is a multi-trillion-dollar package that would lower federal taxes. It would boost spending on the military and the border and downsize some government safety net programs, including Medicaid.

After this procedural vote, Democrats looked to use a delay tactic, forcing the clerks --

BENBROOK (voice-over): -- to read the full 940-page bill out loud. This took close to 16 hours.

Then they started the formal debate process. After that wraps, we'll see vote-a-rama, which is an open-ended series --

BENBROOK: -- of votes on amendments, some of those focusing in on political messaging, while others are more substantial. So, we could see more changes.

After that, then the Senate looks at final passage.

If they are able to pass it, all eyes then turn to the House, where there will likely be more challenges. House Speaker Mike Johnson --

BENBROOK (voice-over): -- was able to narrowly get their version through that chamber just a little while ago, but it was a delicate balance, and he has been warning that any major changes could add more complications.

Republicans have --

BENBROOK: -- put together a lofty goal of getting this bill to the president's desk for a signature by July 4th.

In Washington, Julia Benbrook, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Also joining me this hour, CNN political commentator Karen Finney, who is in Washington. She served as a senior spokesperson on Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.

Thanks for staying up late tonight.

As we look at how this is going to unroll in the coming days, right? So, you've got the Senate, of course. Then things get kicked back to the House. There is a lot that needs to happen in the next several days.

There is not a lot the Democrats can do in this moment to stop the train from moving forward. What are you seeing in terms of those Democratic efforts that you think have been effective?

KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, I think one of the most effective -- and thanks for having me, Erica -- has been the more we are hearing from the people who will be impacted, I think that's one of the most important things.

I mean, Democrats are clearly trying to slow the process down, in part because Republicans know this bill -- this is a billionaire boondoggle in terms of the way this sort of redistributes wealth to the wealthiest 1 percent and really does harm to low- and middle-income people.

And so, you know, it's why we've been hearing for the last couple of weeks there are, you know, challenges within the Senate, challenges within the House, as you were just mentioning.

And so, I think part of the strategy here is, you know, the longer you push it out and really make those members have to think about, like we saw with Thom Tillis -- you know, the stakes are very high. If you are going to be facing voters in just a little over a year, if we're talking about massive cuts to Medicaid and massive impacts to children and to rural hospitals.

So, I think that's been effective both, you know, giving themselves the time to really make sure that members understand what they're really voting for. But then also lifting the voices of people who will be most impacted by this legislation.

HILL: You bring up Thom Tillis. When we look at the fact -- you have the vote, and then you have Thom Tillis saying he's not going to seek reelection. President Trump called that great news.

A mix of reactions. I'm trying to call it up here, but my -- my email is failing me. But I found it interesting that Senator Schatz of Hawaii was noting how disappointed he is, as a person on the other side of the aisle, right, as a Democrat, for him to leave the Senate.

When you look at this moment, too, what does this say about politics in this country moving forward, given how divided the Senate is, given how difficult it seems to be in 2025 to have people work across the aisle? How would you put this moment in perspective?

FINNEY: Well, I think it's -- it's -- it's a tragic moment for our country, because one of the things we've seen and, you know, President Trump has bragged about it, right? I mean, what did he say to Thom Tillis? He's going to primary him if he doesn't do what he wants.

I mean, the way Trump has tried to wield power and consolidate power in the executive, and, you know, basically leaving Republican members to be somewhat feckless in their approach. I mean, they're more of a rubber stamp than actually trying to put any kind of checks and balances or trying to help make sure that we're negotiating things in a way that actually does not do more harm than good.

[00:25:25]

And again, I think what you're seeing is a number of these members recognize that it could do real harm to their voters. And -- and they have to face voters. Trump does not. That's the other wedge that, as we get closer to the midterms, that we're coming up against.

And look, I think it is sad that, if we're in a situation where, you know, the legislative process is supposed to be about trying to negotiate to find the -- the best path forward, not always getting everything you want.

But again, you know, Trump is very winner takes all. He's very vengeful. And he's made it very clear to his members that there's no room to disagree with anything that he -- that he either says or does.

HILL: There will be a lot playing out in the coming -- in the coming days, and you will be talking about a lot of it. Karen, really good to see you. Appreciate it. Thank you.

FINNEY: Thanks so much, Erica.

HILL: Just ahead, we're going to bring you the very latest from Idaho. We're continue to following [SIC] developments -- continuing to follow, rather, developments in the breaking news. The shooting of firefighters who had been responding to a brush fire in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. That is just ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: I'm Erica Hill. Thanks for joining me here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's take a look at some of the stories that we're following at this hour.

[00:30:03]

The U.S. Senate now inching closer to a final vote on President Trump's massive tax and spending bill. They've been debating that package for hours and are preparing for a marathon session of votes on amendments known as the vote-a-rama. That is expected to start about nine hours from now.

Senate Republican Thom Tillis has publicly said the president's agenda bill threatens the people of his state of North Carolina, and he says he won't be running for reelection.

Tillis making the announcement as the president is, of course, pushing lawmakers to approve the Bill. Mr. Trump even threatened to support people running against the senator in future elections.

Authorities responding to an active shooter situation in Idaho say the body of a man has been found on Canfield Mountain with a firearm found nearby.

This coming hours after firefighters were attacked on that mountain after responding to a brush fire in the park there in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. A firefighters union says at least two of its members were killed.

Joining me now with more on the breaking news we've been following for the past several hours, CNN law enforcement contributor Steve Moore. He's a former FBI supervisory special agent, joining me now from Los Angeles.

Steve, good to see you tonight.

When we look at this, when it was first unfolding, I have to say, I was really struck by the sheriff's press conference just a couple of hours ago, talking so matter-of-factly about how things had unfolded at the time.

He was saying they were still taking active sniper fire. There were concerns. It wasn't clear how many shooters there may be, but he did note it was a modern-day sporting rifle, a high-powered rifle, in his words.

And then within, I guess, the last hour or so, we have this report that a body had been found, a firearm nearby, and a short time later, the shelter-in-place was lifted. And from reporters we spoke to on the ground, they mentioned there seemed to be a sense of relief among law enforcement there.

What would be happening in those moments to get to the lifting of that shelter in place?

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you would have to have some kind of information, Erica -- excuse me -- that that would lead you to believe that it was a -- an individual act rather than a conspiracy. It is very hard to comprehend that anybody would --

HILL: Steve, I'm going to interrupt you for just a moment. The sheriff is just speaking now, and I want to go to that press conference today.

SHERIFF BOB NORRIS, KOOTENAI COUNTY, IDAHO: -- today. We're going to go over the timeline. We're going to introduce everybody that's up here. Chairman of the BOCC is Bruce Mattare. We have Lieutenant Jess Stinson (ph) from the Idaho State Police. We have Bill DeRuyter (ph) from the Coeur d'Alene Police Department, and we have Pete Hawley from the Kootenai County Fire and Rescue.

And we're going to go through a quick timeline. This is still a very, very fresh investigation. So -- and incident, so many of these facts might change, but they are evolving as we speak.

At approximately 1:21 this afternoon, we received a phone call that there was a fire on the back side or East side of Canfield Mountain. Fire assets responded to the scene, and at approximately 2 p.m., firefighters broadcast that they were being shot at on Canfield Mountain.

During that next hour and a half where we have assets that are responding to the aid of these firefighters, we still have an active fire. We are managing about 17,000 square foot containment area. We are requesting other law enforcement agencies to assist us.

We had a great response. We had the Spokane County Sheriff's Office responded in force. The Spokane police, Coeur d'Alene Police Department, the FBI. Many, many agencies responded. Right here in Idaho, Bonner County, Shoshone County, Kellogg.

So, we had a -- about 300 law enforcement officers that were on scene that were trying to make heads and tails out of what was occurring.

And during this time, we -- we exchanged gunfire with the suspect, and we -- we also got information. We received information from the White House, from Kash Patel at the FBI, from Governor Brad Little, and also Raul Labrador, that anything that we needed, that they would absolutely respond.

So, we had a lot of assets that came into that command post.

[00:35:04]

And then we -- we had a briefing about 6:30, about 1830 hours at the command post. And in that briefing, we kind of gave an update to the agencies that this is still an active shooter. And that as soon as this individual could be neutralized, that he should be neutralized; and the threat should be eliminated as quickly as possible.

At approximately 1940 hours, we did have information that a -- let me back up just a second. We had a cell phone activation that was in the same spot since about 3:16. And that -- it was in the same area. And we honed in on that cell phone, and we saw that there was a male, appeared to be deceased, with a weapon nearby.

So, we have currently one dead shooter, based on the preliminary investigation that was being conducted. Keep in mind, we have a -- we had a fire that was rapidly -- it was approaching the body. So, we had to scoop up that body. And we had to transport that body to a different location.

But based on the preliminary information, we believe that is the only shooter that was on that mountain at that time. So, there is no threat to the community at that -- at this time.

Based on the trajectory and based on the type of weapons that this individual had, that we could recover. We believe only the one shooter.

We did lose a Coeur d'Alene firefighter, and we did lose a firefighter from the Kootenai County Fire and Rescue.

We have another firefighter that just came out of surgery from the Coeur d'Alene Police Department [SIC]. I'm sorry, from the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department. Right? Is that true? The -- OK. He just came out of surgery. He is fighting for his life, but he's in stable condition.

So, we -- we knew that -- that our resources were exhausted, that if this were to prolong into a 24- or 48-hour operation, we -- we would need additional helicopters. We had two helicopters that were up, and we had snipers in them. So, if they had an opportunity to take a shot, then we wanted them to take that shot. We wanted to neutralize that threat.

And Chief, is there anything that you'd like to say, or you want to take questions?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take questions.

NORRIS: OK. Right now, like I said, this information is very, very preliminary. And if you have a questions, just ask who you'd like that question directed to. And we'll try to answer it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), "The Spokesman-Review." This is just for the fire personnel. Are you able to share anything about these firefighters, if they -- you know, just anything about them at all and their identities; and what the fire department is doing right now to assist the rest of their -- their brothers who lost -- who lost these guys. Or is there anything at all you can tell us?

NORRIS: We are not going to name the firefighters at this time. And we -- there was a procession from Kootenai Health to the Spokane Coroner's Office, but their families will need support.

AODHAN BROWN, KREM-2 NEWS: Aodhan Brown, KREM-2 News. You mentioned three firefighters that, you know, have been shot. Was there any other first responders or personnel that were injured during this operation?

NORRIS: No, no. As of right now, that is the only -- those are the only three that we have. We believe that everybody is off the mountain. So, any civilians that were hiking during that time, we -- we believe it's likely, had they been injured, they would have came forward. So --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a belief at some point that there could have -- potentially have been a second shooter. I know that you're still early, but you have been able to essentially eliminate that -- that thought process?

NORRIS: Yes, we believe, based on the information that we've been able to collect, that we believe that there was only one shooter.

[00:40:06]

And we based it on the weapons that we found at the scene, the type of injuries that were incurred by that weapon. So, as of right now, from a -- from a very preliminary determination, we believe that there was only the one shooter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I know it's early, but do we have any sort of background on this person or any motive?

NORRIS: No. Black shirt.

AARON (ph), GRANGE (ph) MEDIA: Aaron (ph) from Grange (ph) Media. Do we know if the person -- you just said we don't have any background on him. Do we know if he's possibly, like, from here, or did you move here? And you don't know the identity?

NORRIS: We -- we need to wait until a positive identification is made. So --

AARON (ph): Thank you.

NORRIS: The gentleman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the officer -- did the suspect shoot himself? Do we know that?

NORRIS: We don't know at this point in time. So, the coroner's office will conduct their investigation. And so as of right now, we don't know.

ELIZA BELLINGHAM, SPOKANE PUBLIC RADIO: Eliza Bellingham, Spokane Public Radio. Are you able to give any insight on if you think there was a connection between the fire and the shooter?

NORRIS: We do believe -- we do believe that the -- that the suspect started the fire. And we do believe that it was an ambush, and it was intentional. And yes, we do believe that he started it, and it was totally intentional, shat he did.

In the back there in the tan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He made the 911 call?

NORRIS: There was a gentleman that made the -- the 911 call. He did not identify himself as the shooter. So, as of right now, we don't believe that he's the one that made the 911 call.

But you know, that could change, because many times people don't use their real names and what have you. So --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any description of the suspect?

NORRIS: No, not at this time. No.

Gentleman in the red hat.

BRIAN NEALE, KXLY: Brian Neale with KXLY. Does the fire present any problems with you as you're trying to collect evidence?

NORRIS: Oh, absolutely. Yes. We -- we scooped up that body and, as far as the preservation of the scene, you know, it's not perfect in this particular situation, but it's something that had to be done.

So, you have to evaluate each particular circumstance. And this time -- at this time, we felt like since the fire was approaching, we needed to scoop up that body. And we have -- it's contained. So, there are law enforcement personnel that are up there, and we will conduct the investigation, continue it tomorrow morning.

Crews will be there all night. So, yes, we -- it will. It's compromised. Sure. But we had to do what we had to do to preserve the body. So --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What was the weapon?

NORRIS: We're not -- we're not. Like I said, we don't know if there's more weapons up there that he had. There is -- there is a belief that he ran and shot. So, we don't know what we might be collecting, once the fire threat diminishes.

The gentleman in the black shirt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are there federal agencies that are involved?

NORRIS: Absolutely. Yes. Yes.

HILL: So, we've been listening in here to the latest update from Sheriff Bob Harris [SIC] there, joining us from Coeur d'Alene, Iowa -- Idaho. Pardon me. Talking about what happened. Right? And the timeline of events here.

Also with me is Steve Moore, law enforcement analyst and retired FBI supervisory special agent.

Steve, as we listen to this, for folks who are just joining us, earlier today around 2 p.m. local time in Idaho, is when these firefighters called in and said, We're being ambushed. We are being shot at.

They had been responding to the call of a fire in Canfield Mountain Park. And what we're hearing from the sheriff here is that, as this was unfolding in the afternoon, eventually, they did realize they had found a dead body, a deceased man. They removed that from the crime scene. They had found a firearm nearby.

They do believe that this is the only shooter, that the threat in the area is -- is no longer; that it had been neutralized. They lifted that shelter-in-place order.

It's interesting. Part of what we heard from the sheriff. There was a question about whether the scene had been compromised. There were concerns about the encroaching fire, which is contained but still not out, we were just told.

And the sheriff noting they had to remove the body, because they wanted to make sure, with the fire approaching, that they could, in fact, get the body. But he said the scene was -- was somewhat compromised.

How much of that is a concern in this moment, given what they were able to recover?

[00:45:00]

MOORE: Yes. Not much. Not much of a concern at all, because you're mainly worried about compromising a scene when you need the evidence to prosecute. There's not going to be a prosecution here, unless they find that there was an accomplice. So, they have the person. And what -- what would be important is, you

know, obviously, things around it might -- might shed light on the case.

But you're going to find out whether the person by -- by recovering the body had fired a weapon recently. You're going to be able to find a lot about this person by what's in his pockets, these type of things; whether he was wearing a vest; whether he was set up tactically.

So, the important information has been preserved, even if the site did eventually burn out. It's kind of -- kind of unclear to me.

But I would only be really concerned about a -- a compromised crime scene if -- if I was going to prosecute.

HILL: There's also -- I found it notable that we were hearing from the sheriff. So, just going through the timeline again, these are local times, Pacific Time, that 2 p.m. is when they when -- when the -- when you hear from the firefighters as to what's happening, that they're being ambushed essentially.

And then the sheriff saying that they had noticed that there had been a cell phone in the same spot on the mountain since 3:16 p.m., and they honed in on that. That's where they saw this deceased male with a weapon nearby.

The fact that that actually was happening fairly quickly, I mean, that speaks to and the -- we heard from the sheriff. There were some 300 law enforcement officers ultimately on the scene. An incredible response. He called it a great response from local officials there in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Of course, you've got Spokane just about 30 miles away in Washington. The FBI, a number of different agencies responding.

It was an incredible show of force there that was ready to go on the ground to assist.

MOORE: Yes, it really was, Erica. And what's interesting is I don't know if Kootenai County actually has the type of equipment right at hand to start tracking cell phones in the area, but I know the FBI has it pretty close.

So, one of those two agencies came up with the type of equipment that you use to determine how many cell phones are on the mountain, if they're moving, things like that.

What's interesting to me, Erica, is they said the firefighters called at 2 p.m. And then he said for the next 90 minutes, an hour and a half, they were responding and actually engaging this shooter in gunfire.

About 3:15, which is within that time that they would have been engaging, probably, the phone stopped moving. So, it tells us one of two things. No. 1, people who do these active shooter events frequently, upon the

arrival of law enforcement, they'll take their own lives. Because they're -- they don't have whatever it takes to take responsibility for their own actions.

Or it was at that time that he was detected by, possibly, a counter sniper and taken out. I think that's a very good possibility, also.

HILL: Yes, it's interesting too. You know, I will say one of the questions I have, that understandably, they are not identifying the suspect at this moment. Also importantly, not identifying these firefighters, right, as their families need time here to be notified.

But it was not made clear, other than the fact that this person was found dead, whether it was a -- perhaps they would have said a self- inflicted gunshot wound. Or if it was, you know, perhaps other fire. In fact, not even saying officially how this person had died.

But that's obviously going to be an important part of this investigation here, because that will also tell us, to your point, tell us a little something about how this unfolded this afternoon.

MOORE: Yes. And, you know, certain things like the type of wound, the location of the wound, that will tell you a lot.

Plus, they said that there were more than one weapon.

HILL: Yes.

MOORE: And there was -- I'd like to know which weapon was near the body, if it was a long rifle or the weapon that was the one that inflicted the -- the injuries. It's kind of hard to shoot yourself with a rifle. Not impossible, but it's hard.

HILL: Yes.

MOORE: If there was a pistol nearby, you know, then it -- then it's a whole nother situation.

HILL: It does -- it does raise questions, because initially, to your point, we had been told at the first press conference by the sheriff that it appeared to be a modern-day sporting rifle or a high-powered rifle, but again, you know, unclear what else was recovered there at the scene.

[00:50:04]

Steve, always appreciate your insight. Thank you.

MOORE: Thank you.

HILL: Stay with us. We're going to take a quick break here. We'll be back on the other side with more developments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HILL: In the coming hours, the U.S. Senate is expected to enter into a marathon voting session known as vote-a-rama, before a final vote on President Trump's domestic agenda bill.

This coming after a weekend of discussions and debate over the package of tax cuts and spending priorities. That session is expected to begin at 9 a.m. In Washington.

President Trump declaring it a great victory after key Senate Republicans shifted their votes to advance the bill to the debate stage. He says they are patriots who, in his words, "truly love our country."

Tropical Storm Barry weakening to a tropical depression as it made landfall in the Southeastern parts of Mexico just a short time ago.

Barry formed in the Bay of Campeche on Sunday morning in the Gulf of Mexico. It's the second named storm of this year's hurricane season. Its intensity has decreased. It now has maximum sustained winds of near 55 kilometers, or 35 miles per hour.

Tropical storm warnings have been canceled in Mexico, but they are still expecting a wet next couple of days in the area, with the potential of 10 to 15 centimeters or up to six inches of rain.

[00:55:07]

Space company Blue Origin successfully launching yet another flight of tourists into space.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Zero.

(ROCKET ENGINES FIRING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Following a string of delays due to weather, the rocket finally lifted off. Six tourists on board for the flight that lasted about ten minutes, taking them just past the internationally recognized boundary for space and giving them a brief moment of weightlessness. The rocket, known as New Shepard, is the 13th tourist flight launched by Blue Origin.

Thanks so much for joining me here in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Erica Hill. Stay tuned. Rosemary Church picks up in Atlanta after a short break with the very latest, of course, on our breaking news out of Idaho.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Authorities in Idaho say there is no longer a threat to the community in the Northwest city of Coeur d'Alene after a deadly shooting targeting firefighters.

The local sheriff says the body of a man believed to be the shooter has been found on Canfield Mountain with a firearm nearby.

At a news conference just a short time ago, he said they believe the suspect intentionally set the fire and ambushed those who responded, and that he acted alone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NORRIS: So, we have currently.