Idaho sheriff IDs deceased man suspected of ambushing firefighters

Authorities in Idaho have identified the deceased man suspected of lighting a brush fire and killing two firefighters who responded.

Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris on Monday afternoon identified the suspected gunman as Wess Roley, age 20, who had lived in California, Arizona, and Idaho. It appears that Roley shot himself, the sheriff said. He had interacted or spoke with firefighters who arrived at the scene of the fire, the sheriff said. He may have attempted to be a firefighter at one time, but his motivation remained unknown Monday. Roley had prior run-ins with police but they were relatively minor things like trespassing.

Investigators believe the Roley intentionally set a fire in the mountains of northern Idaho before shooting at responders who tried to stop the blaze, authorities said at a news conference. Over several hours, the suspect shot at firefighters, killing two and wounding one, Sheriff Norris said. One of the victims was a firefighter from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, and the other was from the Kootenai County Fire Department. The suspect was believed to have acted alone, Norris said

What led up to the shooting? Firefighters responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain north of the city of Coeur d’Alene around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Norris said. Authorities reported gunshots about half an hour later and determined that a sniper was hiding in the area and using a high-powered rifle to attack those fighting the fire. Norris said he instructed local law enforcement to return fire. 

Two helicopters equipped with snipers and about 300 local and federal officials joined the effort before they located the suspect’s body. They removed his body quickly as the brush fire was approaching the area, Norris said, and they lifted an order for local residents to shelter in place. It was unclear Monday morning if the gunman had taken his own life or if authorities had shot him.

Is the fire still burning? The blaze, called the Nettleton Gulch Fire, burned more than 25 acres by Monday morning, according to the state of Idaho’s fire tracking map. Fire crews were staging personnel and equipment Monday to fight the fire, according to the Idaho Department of Lands. Officials delayed fighting the fire Sunday until the gunman was found. 

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report about the killing of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband.