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The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
‘Everybody's shot up here': Suspected gunman in US firefighter ambush killings named
Firefighters received the first call of a fire about 1.21pm on Sunday (5.21am Monday AEST) and came under fire in an ambush-style attack almost immediately upon arriving at the scene, Norris said. They did not know where the gunfire was coming from and made urgent calls for help on their radios: 'Everybody's shot up here ... send law enforcement now,' according to one dispatch. The Washington Post on Monday published audio of the firefighters frantically radioing in that someone was shooting at them. After the shooting, local law enforcement agencies had offered to go on every call that the fire department goes on, Way said. 'I don't know that we're ever going to be able to guarantee people's peace of mind, at least for a while after an incident like this,' he said. 'But we are taking every measure we can to ensure safety.' Roley had set a fire using flint and the firefighters who rushed to the scene instead found themselves under fire. They took cover behind fire trucks. 'There was an interaction with the firefighters,' Norris said. 'It has something to do with his vehicle being parked where it was.' Roley had ties to California and Arizona and was living in Idaho 'for the better part of 2024,' Norris said. 'But as far as when he got here, why he was here, why he chose this place – I don't know.' Two helicopters converged on the area on Sunday, armed with snipers ready to take out the suspect if needed, while the FBI used his cellphone data to track him and the sheriff ordered residents to shelter in place. They eventually found Roley dead in the mountains, his firearm beside him. Roley lived with T.J. Franks jr for about six months in Sandpoint, Idaho, while working for a tree service, Franks said on Monday. Franks had cameras in his apartment that caught Roley throwing gang signs at them one day, which worried Franks to the point that he called police. 'I didn't know what to really think about it,' Franks said. 'I just called the cops and had them talk to him.' The landlord also called Franks one morning because neighbours reported that Roley's vehicle had been left running for about 12 hours. Franks said Roley was asleep in his room and said he forgot about the vehicle. Franks said Roley 'started acting a little weird' and at one point shaved his long hair off completely. 'We just kind of noticed him starting to decline or kind of go downhill,' he said. Dale Roley, who lives about an hour away from Coeur d'Alene, told KXLY-TV that his grandson was an avid hiker who worked for a tree company and was interested in forestry. Outpouring of support for the victims was swift in Coeur d'Alene, a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Hours after the shooting, people gathered along Interstate 90 holding American flags to pay their respects as the two fallen firefighters' bodies were taken to the medical examiner's office in Spokane, Washington, about 50 kilometres from Coeur d'Alene. Governor Brad Little ordered US and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honour the firefighters until the day after their memorial service. 'All our public safety officers, especially our firefighters, bravely confront danger on a daily basis but we have never seen a heinous act of violence like this on our firefighters before,' he said in a statement. 'This is not Idaho. This indescribable loss is felt deeply by all those in the firefighting community and beyond.' Though the shelter-in-place order was lifted, the sheriff's office cautioned residents to be prepared because the fire was still burning. The Idaho Department of Lands said it had burned more than 10 hectares. Fire is always a concern for the region, said Bruce Deming, whose property abuts the trail system. When he noticed smoke on the ridge Sunday afternoon, he wondered why no firefighting helicopters were responding. When a friend texted to tell him about the shooting, he realised why he wasn't seeing aircraft: 'Because they're concerned about being shot at,' he said.
The Hindu
12 hours ago
- The Hindu
Man shot Idaho firefighters who had asked him to move his vehicle, killing 2, sheriff says
A man who set a wildfire and then fatally shot two firefighters and wounded another in northern Idaho was a 20-year-old transient who attacked the first responders after they asked him to move his vehicle, a sheriff said Monday (June 30, 2025). Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris offered new details about the Sunday ambush at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d'Alene, a popular recreation area. He said Wess Roley was living out of his vehicle, had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only a handful of minor contacts with area police. 'We have not been able to find a manifesto,' the sheriff said, adding a motive was still unknown. Mr. Norris said families of the victims are 'in shock — absolutely. They're in shock and they're still processing it.' Roley had set a fire using flint, and the firefighters who rushed to the scene instead found themselves in an unexpected shootout. They took cover behind fire trucks, but two died and a third was wounded during a barrage of gunfire over several hours. Roley later killed himself, Mr. Norris said. 'We know that he was a transient here,' the sheriff said. 'We know he lived here for the better part of 2024. But as far as when he got here, why he was here, why he chose this place — I don't know.' Two helicopters converged on the area Sunday, armed with snipers ready to take out the suspect if needed, while the FBI used his cellphone data to track him and the sheriff ordered residents to shelter in place. They eventually found Roley dead in the mountains, his firearm beside him. Roley's grandfather, Dale Roley, told KXLY-TV that his grandson was an avid hiker who worked for a tree company and was interested in forestry. Outpouring of support for the victims was swift in Coeur d'Alene, a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Hours after the ambush, people gathered along Interstate 90 holding American flags to pay their respects as the two fallen firefighters' bodies were taken to the medical examiner's office in Spokane, Washington, about 35 miles (56 kilometres) from Coeur d'Alene. Gov. Brad Little on Monday ordered U.S. and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor the firefighters until the day after their memorial service. 'All our public safety officers, especially our firefighters, bravely confront danger on a daily basis but we have never seen a heinous act of violence like this on our firefighters before,' he said in a statement. 'This is not Idaho. This indescribable loss is felt deeply by all those in the firefighting community and beyond.' The Idaho House Republican Leadership said in a statement: 'We are horrified by the murder of two firefighters in Coeur d'Alene, and shocked by such a vicious attack on our first responders. We are praying for them, the injured, their families and their colleagues.' Though the shelter-in-place order was lifted, the sheriff's office cautioned residents to be prepared because the fire was still burning. Firefighters were still battling the blaze Monday, a task made difficult because it was burning in steep terrain, which limited the use of heavy equipment, the Idaho Department of Lands said in a news release. It had burned about 26 acres (10.5 hectares). Fire is always a concern for the region, said Bruce Deming, whose property abuts the trail system. When he noticed smoke on the ridge Sunday afternoon, he wondered why no firefighting helicopters were responding. When a friend texted to tell him about the shooting, he realized why he wasn't seeing aircraft: 'Because they're concerned about being shot at,' he said.
Perth Now
13 hours ago
- Perth Now
Man shot firefighters who asked him to move his vehicle
A US man who started a wildfire and then shot dead two firefighters and wounded another in northern Idaho was a 20-year-old transient who attacked the first responders after they asked him to move his vehicle. Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris offered new details about the Sunday confrontation at Canfield Mountain, just north of Coeur d'Alene, a popular recreation area. He said Wess Roley was living out of his vehicle, had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only a handful of minor contacts with area police. "We have not been able to find a manifesto," the sheriff said on Monday, adding a motive was still unknown. Norris said families of the victims are "in shock - absolutely. They're in shock and they're still processing it." Roley had set a fire using flint, and the firefighters who rushed to the scene instead found themselves in an unexpected shootout. They took cover behind fire trucks, but two died and a third was wounded during a barrage of gunfire over several hours. "There was an interaction with the firefighters," Norris said. "It has something to do with his vehicle being parked where it was." Roley later killed himself, the sheriff said. He had ties to California and Arizona and was living in Idaho "for the better part of 2024", Norris said. "But as far as when he got here, why he was here, why he chose this place - I don't know." Two helicopters converged on the area Sunday, armed with snipers ready to take out the suspect if needed, while the FBI used his mobile phone data to track him and the sheriff ordered residents to shelter in place. They eventually found Roley dead in the mountains, his firearm beside him. Dale Roley, who lives about an hour away from Coeur d'Alene, told KXLY-TV that his grandson was an avid hiker who worked for a tree company and was interested in forestry. Outpouring of support for the victims was swift in Coeur d'Alene, a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Hours after the shooting, people gathered along Interstate 90 holding American flags to pay their respects as the two fallen firefighters' bodies were taken to the medical examiner's office in Spokane, Washington, about 56km from Coeur d'Alene. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Ottawa Citizen
14 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Man shot, killed Idaho firefighters after they asked him to move his vehicle, sheriff says
Article content COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A man who set a wildfire and then fatally shot two firefighters and wounded another in northern Idaho was a 20-year-old transient who attacked the first responders after they asked him to move his vehicle, a sheriff said Monday. Article content Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris offered new details about the Sunday ambush at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d'Alene, a popular recreation area. He said Wess Roley was living out of his vehicle, had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only a handful of minor contacts with area police. Article content Article content Article content 'We have not been able to find a manifesto,' the sheriff said, adding a motive was still unknown. Article content Article content Norris said families of the victims are 'in shock — absolutely. They're in shock and they're still processing it.' Article content Roley had set a fire using flint, and the firefighters who rushed to the scene instead found themselves in an unexpected shootout. They took cover behind fire trucks, but two died and a third was wounded during a barrage of gunfire over several hours. Article content 'We know that he was a transient here,' the sheriff said. 'We know he lived here for the better part of 2024. But as far as when he got here, why he was here, why he chose this place — I don't know.' Article content Two helicopters converged on the area Sunday, armed with snipers ready to take out the suspect if needed, while the FBI used his cellphone data to track him and the sheriff ordered residents to shelter in place. They eventually found Roley dead in the mountains, his firearm beside him. Article content Article content Roley's grandfather, Dale Roley, told KXLY-TV that his grandson was an avid hiker who worked for a tree company and was interested in forestry. Article content Outpouring of support for the victims was swift in Coeur d'Alene, a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Article content Hours after the ambush, people gathered along Interstate 90 holding American flags to pay their respects as the two fallen firefighters' bodies were taken to the medical examiner's office in Spokane, Washington, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) from Coeur d'Alene. Article content Gov. Brad Little on Monday ordered U.S. and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor the firefighters until the day after their memorial service.
Politico
14 hours ago
- Politico
Man shot Idaho firefighters who had asked him to move his vehicle, sheriff says
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A man who set a wildfire and then fatally shot two firefighters and wounded another in northern Idaho was a 20-year-old transient who attacked the first responders after they asked him to move his vehicle, a sheriff said Monday. Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris offered new details about the Sunday ambush at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d'Alene, a popular recreation area. He said Wess Roley was living out of his vehicle, had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only a handful of minor contacts with area police. 'We have not been able to find a manifesto,' the sheriff said, adding a motive was still unknown. Norris said families of the victims are 'in shock — absolutely. They're in shock and they're still processing it.' Roley had set a fire using flint, and the firefighters who rushed to the scene instead found themselves in an unexpected shootout. They took cover behind fire trucks, but two died and a third was wounded during a barrage of gunfire over several hours. Roley later killed himself, Norris said. 'We know that he was a transient here,' the sheriff said. 'We know he lived here for the better part of 2024. But as far as when he got here, why he was here, why he chose this place — I don't know.' Two helicopters converged on the area Sunday, armed with snipers ready to take out the suspect if needed, while the FBI used his cellphone data to track him and the sheriff ordered residents to shelter in place. They eventually found Roley dead in the mountains, his firearm beside him. Roley's grandfather, Dale Roley, told KXLY-TV that his grandson was an avid hiker who worked for a tree company and was interested in forestry. Outpouring of support for the victims was swift in Coeur d'Alene, a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Hours after the ambush, people gathered along Interstate 90 holding American flags to pay their respects as the two fallen firefighters' bodies were taken to the medical examiner's office in Spokane, Washington, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) from Coeur d'Alene. Gov. Brad Little on Monday ordered U.S. and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor the firefighters until the day after their memorial service. 'All our public safety officers, especially our firefighters, bravely confront danger on a daily basis but we have never seen a heinous act of violence like this on our firefighters before,' he said in a statement. 'This is not Idaho. This indescribable loss is felt deeply by all those in the firefighting community and beyond.' The Idaho House Republican Leadership said in a statement: 'We are horrified by the murder of two firefighters in Coeur d'Alene, and shocked by such a vicious attack on our first responders. We are praying for them, the injured, their families and their colleagues.' Though the shelter-in-place order was lifted, the sheriff's office cautioned residents to be prepared because the fire was still burning. Firefighters were still battling the blaze Monday, a task made difficult because it was burning in steep terrain, which limited the use of heavy equipment, the Idaho Department of Lands said in a news release. It had burned about 26 acres. Fire is always a concern for the region, said Bruce Deming, whose property abuts the trail system. When he noticed smoke on the ridge Sunday afternoon, he wondered why no firefighting helicopters were responding. When a friend texted to tell him about the shooting, he realized why he wasn't seeing aircraft: 'Because they're concerned about being shot at,' he said.
