The sniper who shot dead two firefighters in Idaho had celebrated his 20th birthday last month, according to his mother. The gunman was identified by officials on Monday as Wess Roley as a chilling photo of his staring menacingly into the camera emerged. Roley was found dead next to his gun on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Sunday evening.
Roley slaughtered two firefighters and left a third in critical condition after igniting a brush fire that authorities believe was meant to lure emergency responders to the scene. Roley was identified by a law enforcement source who spoke to the Associated Press on Monday under the condition of anonymity.
Face of Death
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It is still unclear whether Roley was employed, with public records indicating his most recent listed address was in Phoenix, Arizona. A motive for the attack has yet to be determined. Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said on Sunday that it remains unclear whether Roley was shot dead by cops or died by suicide.
His body was removed from the area just as the wildfire began to spread across Canfield Mountain.
The fire was first reported around 1:21 p.m. Two firefighters—one from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and another from Kootenai County Fire & Rescue—were shot and killed while scoping the scene.
A third firefighter was critically injured and rushed into surgery. He is now reportedly in stable condition.
“This was a total ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance,” Norris said on Sunday.
The situation descended into chaos as the brush fire raged and firefighters arrived, only to be met with intense gunfire.
Around 4:30 p.m., Norris authorized officers to kill the shooter if the situation demand. Two helicopters carrying snipers were deployed to eliminate the threat.
Norris later said that evidence suggests there Roley was only shooter involved in the attack, based on the bullet trajectories and the type of weapons recovered from the scene.
Norris added that Roley was likely firing while on the move and assured the public that “there is no threat to the community at this tie.”
Motive Still Unclear
The motive behind the attack is still unclear. The investigation is continuing today, and Norris said authorities are expected to find more weapons left at the scene. Disturbing scanner audio from the fire department captured the panic and terror experienced by first responders upon arrival.
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“Send law enforcement right now! There’s an active shooter zone,” one firefighter could be heard saying.
“Everybody’s shot up here!” the terrified firefighter continued, noting that two battalion chiefs were “down” and he was “pinned.”
He was later heard warning his fellow firefighters, saying, “Stop. Do not come up here.”
“It’s clear to me that this fire was set intentionally to draw us in,” the firefighter claimed.
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On Sunday evening, the bodies of the two fallen firefighters were moved from Kootenai Health to Spokane, Washington.
A solemn procession of police vehicles, ambulances, and fire trucks accompanied them as a sign of respect and honor.
Community members gathered on highway overpasses to pay tribute—some waving flags, others offering salutes as the procession passed by.
