BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A small mountain village in northern Idaho was experiencing panic due to a wildfire, and firemen who hurried to put it out ended up in an unplanned shootout.
On Sunday, a man who had purposefully started the fire to ambush the team was firing at the firefighters while positioned as a sniper. Although they sought refuge behind firetrucks, authorities reported that a flurry of gunfire over many hours claimed two lives and injured a third.
At Canfield Mountain, just north of Coeur d’Alene, first responders used their radios to make urgent requests for assistance: “Everyone’s shot up here, send law enforcement now,” one dispatch said.
The FBI tracked the culprit using the data from his cellphone, the sheriff ordered neighbors to stay indoors, and two helicopters approached the scene with snipers ready to kill him if necessary. Eventually, they discovered the guy dead in the mountains with his gun next to him.
Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive, and it is unclear how he passed away.
A law enforcement official informed The Associated Press on Monday that the suspect has been identified as Wess Roley. Since the official was not allowed to discuss the probe, they talked on condition of anonymity.
At a press conference on Sunday night, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris stated, “We do believe that the suspect started the fire, and we do believe that it was an ambush and it was intentional.” There was no chance for these firefighters.
According to Norris, the injured firefighter was in stable condition and fighting for his life following surgery.
It is intimidating for police officers, let alone firefighters, to be in an area where you are unsure of the source of the gunshots due to trees, bushes, and other obstacles, according to Norris.
The 55,000-person community of Coeur d’Alene, which is close to the Washington border, saw an immediate outpouring of support.
As the remains of the two deceased firemen were transported to the medical examiner’s office in Spokane, Washington, some 35 miles (56 kilometers) from Coeur d Alene, people gathered along Interstate 90 with American flags to show their respects hours after the ambush.
In memory of the firefighters, Governor Brad Little on Monday directed that the state flags of Idaho and the United States be lowered to half-staff until the day following their memorial service.
“We have never witnessed a horrific act of violence on our firefighters before, but all of our public safety officers, especially our firefighters, bravely face danger on a daily basis,” he added in a statement. This isn’t Idaho. Everyone in the firefighting community and beyond is greatly affected by this incomprehensible loss.
“We are shocked by such a vicious attack on our first responders and appalled by the murder of two firefighters in Coeur d Alene,” the Idaho House Republican Leadership stated in a statement. They, the injured, their families, and their coworkers are in our prayers.
The sheriff’s office warned homeowners to be ready because the fire was still blazing even after the shelter-in-place order was lifted. On Monday morning, it was unclear how the fire was progressing.
On the outskirts of Coeur d’Alene, Canfield Mountain is a well-liked location for hiking and bicycling. It is covered with trees and dense undergrowth, and it is interspersed with routes that go into a national forest.
Bruce Deming, whose property borders the trail system, said fire is a constant worry for the area. He questioned why no firefighting helicopters were responding when he saw smoke on the ridge on Sunday afternoon.
He understood why he wasn’t seeing airplanes when a friend emailed him to inform him of the shooting: “They’re worried about getting shot at,” he added.
Deming directed deputies to a track that begins close to his backdoor and proceeds straight to the fire site as they erected posts nearby.
He stated, “I simply don’t want to have to get up in the middle of the night to see if someone is out wandering around my place.”
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It was from Los Angeles that Weber reported. This article was written by Associated Press journalists Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington.
