Wess Roley, 20, Idaho ambush suspect, wanted to be a firefighter

Police say that a 20-year-old man who launched an alleged sniper assault on firefighters in Idaho, killing two and severely injuring a third individual, had hopes of changing into a firefighter himself.

Two firefighters have been killed and a third injured after Wess Roley shot at them as they arrived at a blaze at Canfield Mountain, simply north of Coeur d’Alene, on Sunday night, officers say.

Authorities say Roley intentionally lit the fireplace to lure first responders to the world. They are saying he wished to be a firefighter himself, however no motive for the assault has but been discovered.

After an hours-long standoff, a police Swat staff found a useless man – recognized as Roley – shut to the place the assault came about.

Roley moved from Arizona to Idaho in 2023 to work for his father’s tree trimming firm, his mom stated in a social media submit. Officers say that at one level, he opened fireplace from a tree he had climbed.

In an replace shared in October 2024, his mom wrote that he was “doing nice residing in Idaho.”

Police imagine Roley used a flint that was discovered close to his physique to intentionally begin the fireplace.

“This was a whole ambush. These firefighters didn’t have a likelihood,” Sheriff Bob Norris instructed a information convention.

One firefighter who was killed labored for the town’s fireplace service, whereas one other labored for Kootenai County Fireplace and Rescue.

A 3rd was “preventing for his life, however is in steady situation”, he stated.

Idaho’s governor has ordered flags be flown at half-staff on Monday to honour the firefighters who have been killed.

The primary report of a fireplace within the mountainside group was made round 13:21 PST (21:21 BST), which was adopted 40 minutes later by reviews firefighters have been being shot at, Norris stated.

The so-called Nettleton Gulch Fireplace grew to 26 acres after it was first reported and continued to burn on Monday, Norris stated. No constructions are threatened, and officers hope to have the blaze extinguished by Monday night time.

Greater than 300 regulation enforcement officers from metropolis, county, state and federal authorities responded to the taking pictures, together with two helicopters with snipers on board.

Norris stated authorities believed the suspect used a high-powered rifle to fireplace quickly at first responders, with officers initially uncertain of the variety of perpetrators concerned.

A shotgun has been recovered, and a number of other bullets or fragments probably from a rifle have been discovered. Officers say extra weapons might be hidden on the mountain.

After an hours-long barrage of gunfire, the suspect was discovered by tracing his cell phone on the favored mountaineering path, which officers stated was being utilized by tons of on that Sunday afternoon.

“It seems that he shot himself,” Norris stated in a information convention on Monday.

Norris added that the suspect had no felony historical past, and had 5 “very minor” prior interactions with police since transferring to Idaho in 2024. He stated that in a single case, he was declared to be trespassing at a restaurant by police.

No “manifesto” has been situated, the sheriff stated. He added that it seems that he lately deleted a number of social media posts, and that he was a “transient”, residing in a automobile discovered close by to the fireplace.

So as to stop the suspect from fleeing, officers disabled that automobile and “pushed it off the mountain” the sheriff stated. They haven’t but been ready to entry the automobile for a extra thorough search.

A number of fireplace division autos additionally noticed their tyres flattened to stop the suspect from fleeing.

Norris dominated out that the suspect had “any nexus to Islamic Jihad”, which he stated had been falsely advised on social media.

Earlier than the assault started, the suspect had an interplay with fireplace officers who responded to the bush blaze, the sheriff stated. He declined to disclose additional particulars of the encounter, although it appeared to relate to the suspect’s automobile.

Roley’s grandfather instructed NBC Information on Monday that the suspect had dreamed of changing into a firefighter, and “really actually revered regulation enforcement”.

“He cherished firefighters,” stated Dale Roley.

“It did not make sense that he was taking pictures firefighters. Possibly he acquired rejected or one thing.”

His grandfather added that he “had been in touch to get a job with a fireplace division”, and “wanted to be a part of a staff that he form of idolised”.