Authorities have identified the shooter responsible for a deadly ambush on Canfield Mountain in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, as 20-year-old Wess Roley.
Roley was found dead near his firearm Sunday afternoon after allegedly opening fire on firefighters who were responding to a brush fire, killing two and critically wounding a third, according to an earlier report from Resist the Mainstream.
The incident unfolded shortly after 1:21 p.m. when firefighters were dispatched to investigate reports of a brush fire on the mountain.
Two firefighters—one from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and another from Kootenai County Fire & Rescue—were shot and killed while evaluating the scene.
A third was seriously injured and rushed to surgery. Officials later reported that the third victim was in stable condition.
The names of the firefighters have not been released as officials continue efforts to notify their families.
Law enforcement believes Roley may have deliberately ignited the fire to lure emergency responders into a deadly trap.
His body was recovered near the gun used in the attack while the fire continued to burn.
Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said it remains unknown whether the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot or was fatally shot by police.
An anonymous law enforcement official confirmed Roley’s identity to the Associated Press. Public records show his last known address was in Phoenix, Arizona.
It is unclear if he was employed at the time.
A Facebook page linked to his mother, Heather Cuchiara, stated that he had just celebrated his 20th birthday in May.
By Monday, the Nettleton Gulch Fire had expanded to roughly 26 acres, increasing from Sunday’s early estimate of 15 to 20 acres.
Firefighters confronting the blaze reported difficult conditions, as steep and rugged terrain challenged their efforts to contain the fire, according to the Idaho Department of Lands, per The Post Millennial.
Fire crews remained on the scene late Sunday night and continued their work through Monday to prevent the fire from spreading further.
The ambush forced emergency personnel to split their focus between fire suppression and responding to the shooting.
On Monday, Shawn Turner, who formerly led U.S. national intelligence communications, stated that investigators are examining whether Roley had any prior disputes with local law enforcement or other sources of tension.
Turner added that officials are also exploring the suspect’s wider belief system and possible motivations behind the attack.
Turner described the incident as a “fairly complex attack,” indicating that Roley intended to injure more people than he ultimately did.
“This appears to be a fairly complex attack where he intended to harm more people than he did,” Turner said in a media briefing.
The ambush has deeply impacted the community. Flags across Kootenai County were lowered to half-staff as a sign of mourning.
Local fire stations have erected memorials honoring the fallen firefighters. Community leaders and officials have called for unity and support for the families affected by the tragedy, the Daily Mail reports.
Authorities have urged the public to come forward with any information related to Roley’s recent activities, associates or potential motives.
The investigation remains active, with law enforcement reviewing digital evidence, social media activity and other personal records as part of their inquiry.
The post 20-Year-Old Suspect Identified in Deadly Idaho Firefighter Ambush appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Gloriel Howard
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://resistthemainstream.org and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
