Suspected Idaho Firefighter Shooter Found Deceased

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Authorities report that two firefighters lost their lives and another was critically wounded following an ambush and shooting incident as they responded to a wildfire near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Here’s what to know about Sunday’s attack, the investigation and next steps.

According to Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris, firefighters were initially called to address a brush fire early in the afternoon at Canfield Mountain. This location is known for its scenic beauty and is frequented by hikers and bikers near the town’s edge. However, upon their arrival, someone began firing shots at the firefighters.

The fire was set to lure the firefighters into an ambush, Norris said.

“These firefighters did not have a chance,” he said.

Law enforcement reacted by securing the neighborhoods adjacent to the hiking site. They launched a search to locate the shooter, navigating through challenging hilly terrain with dense brush, trees, and smoke billowing from the nearby fire.

Over the next few hours, it wasn’t clear if hikers or other recreationists were stuck on the mountain, or if any civilians had been injured in the shooting, Norris said. What was clear was the danger the firefighters and responding law enforcement faced. They exchanged gunfire with the shooter, he said.

“We don’t know how many suspects are up there, and we don’t know how many casualties there are,” Norris told reporters at a Sunday afternoon news conference. “We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak.”

A spokesperson with Kootenai Health later confirmed that three patients were brought to the hospital — two were dead by the time they arrived and a third was injured.

The deceased included a firefighter from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and one from Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. The third firefighter was badly injured but had made it through surgery and was “fighting for his life,” Norris said later that night.

Faced with more than 17,000 square feet (1,580 square meters) of containment area, part of it burning, authorities used cellphone data to narrow their search. They identified a cell signal around 3:15 p.m. and noticed it had not changed location for some time, Norris said.

A tactical response team went to the location and found a deceased man with a weapon nearby. Officials believe the man was the shooter, the sheriff said. Investigators said the gunman acted alone.

The fire was burning close to the suspect’s body, so authorities had to “scoop the body up” before it was engulfed in flames, Norris said.

Crews were stationed around the area overnight and the sheriff said the investigation would continue Monday morning.

Norris said investigators believe that once they are able to fully search the area, they may find that more weapons had been placed by the suspect.

The suspect has been identified as Wess Roley, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Monday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.

The names of the slain and injured firefighters have not been released.

A procession of fire and law enforcement vehicles accompanied the bodies of the fallen firefighters as they were taken from the hospital in Coeur d’Alene to the medical examiner’s office in Spokane, Washington, a neighboring city just across the state line.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little ordered U.S. and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff Monday to honor the firefighters until the day after their memorial service, saying they’ve never seen a “heinous act of violence like this” directed at firefighters.

“This is not Idaho,” Little said in a statement. “This indescribable loss is felt deeply by all those in the firefighting community and beyond.”

Associated Press journalist Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.