Politics
JUST IN: Suspected Idaho Shooter Identified After Ambush On Law Enforcement
State and federal authorities, still combing north Idaho for clues about the motive behind Sunday’s deadly shooting, have unveiled the identity of the gunman they say killed two firefighters and critically wounded another who barely escaped with his life.
Investigators are pinning the blame on 20-year-old Wess Roley, who they believe intentionally set a brush fire in order to draw first responders to the area. Roley later opened fire with a sniper rifle, forcing firefighters to retreat while local police called in a SWAT team.
Roley was discovered dead by members of the SWAT team who triangulated his location on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d’Alene using cell phone data. Sources told media outlets that a firearm matching the description of the one used against the firefighters was found near his body.
The brush fire, now named the Nettleton Gulch Fire, has grown to encompass 26 acres since it was set on Sunday, according to CNN.
Shawn Turner, a former US national intelligence communications director, told the outlet that authorities are still working to uncover the motive behind Roley’s premeditated attack.
“Right now, behind the scenes, there’s a lot of work going on to really understand who this individual is and what motivated them to carry out this attack,” he said, adding that first investigators must examine “whether or not there was some sort of tension; some sort of strife, conflict between local law enforcement and this individual.”
The ambush appears to have been “a fairly complex attack where he intended to harm more people than he did,” Turner said.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino confirmed on social media that technical teams and tactical assets were on the ground to provide support.
“It remains an active, and very dangerous scene,” he added Sunday night.
Residents of Coeur d’Alene lined the streets on Sunday night, waving American flags as first responders passed by. Others stood in silence.
“I think a lot of people were hit hard to think that this could happen — to their firefighters, the front-line guys, who are there to protect them,” said Bill Buley, managing editor for the local newspaper.
“Coeur d’Alene is a pretty small community. People know who these front-line guys are and hold them with a great amount of respect. So when this happened, I think a lot of people were really shaken and just really wanted to come out and show their support for the firefighters and for their families.”
The two victims, whose names have not been released, worked at separate fire departments, which nonetheless collaborated closely. One worked as a firefighter in Coeur d’Alene while the other traveled in from Kootenai County. A third firefighter from Coeur d’Alene is “fighting for his life” after being shot in the attack, Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said on Sunday.