Authorities have identified the shooter who ambushed firefighters in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, as a young transient, but the motive behind the attack remains a mystery. The man set a fire in a mountainous area in the city on Sunday afternoon and then shot at the firefighters who arrived to extinguish it, resulting in the deaths of two people and one being seriously injured, before the suspect took his own life during a police pursuit.
Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris announced on Monday that the perpetrator of the attack was 20-year-old Wess Roley, whose body was found at the scene with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The incident took place about 4 miles north of downtown Coeur d’Alene in the Canfield Mountain Natural Area on Sunday.
Authorities have not released the names of the three firefighters involved in the incident. Norris revealed that Roley had some interaction with the firefighters upon their arrival at the scene but did not disclose specific details. The sheriff also mentioned that the suspect had expressed an interest in becoming a firefighter.
Roley, a California native, had been residing in Coeur d’Alene for the past year, which is approximately 260 miles from Seattle, Washington. The area where the shooting occurred is densely forested with multiple hiking and biking trails.
Norris stated that Roley had no known criminal record. Local law enforcement had minor, non-violent interactions with Roley on five occasions recently when he seemed to be living in his car, and officers had asked him to vacate certain premises during these encounters.
It was believed that Roley was armed with a rifle when the firefighters arrived at the scene on Sunday afternoon. However, a shotgun was found near Roley’s body on Monday. Investigators are still trying to determine if there were any other weapons involved.
According to Norris, the firefighters were shot at almost immediately upon arrival at the scene on Sunday afternoon. Subsequently, arriving police officers were also targeted by gunfire, indicating that Roley had climbed a tree to carry out the shooting.
The operation involved law enforcement from the city of Coeur d’Alene as well as county, state, and federal officials, including two helicopters with snipers aboard. The suspect’s location was pinpointed through mobile tracking, and his body was removed as the fire approached.
(This article refers to a report by Reuters)