Latest news with #KootenaiCountySheriff
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Idaho sniper named as traumatized locals pay tribute to slain firefighters
The sniper who lured hundreds of firefighters into a deadly ambush last night has been named as Wess Roley. Roley was found dead near his gun on Canfield Mountain outside of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on Sunday evening. He slaughtered two firefighters, who haven't been named, and left a third critically-ill after starting a brush fire cops fear was used to bait the fire department. Roley was identified by a law enforcement official who spoke with the Associated Press on Monday on the condition of anonymity. Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said on Sunday it was unclear if the shooter was killed by a cop's bullet, or if he took his own life. The sniper's body was pulled away from the scene just as the blaze the sniper started began to spread across Canfield Mountain. The fire was first reported at around 1.21pm. Two local firefighters - one from Coeur d'Alene Fire Department and another from Kootenai County Fire & Rescue - were shot and killed while scoping out the scene. A third was left 'fighting for his life' after being struck and rushed to surgery, but is now described as being in a stable condition. 'This was a total ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance,' Norris said on Sunday.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Idaho shooting: two dead after gunman ambushed firefighters responding to blaze
A man armed with a rifle intentionally started a wildfire and then began shooting at first responders in a northern Idaho mountain community, killing two firefighters and wounding a third during a barrage of gunfire over several hours, authorities said. A shelter-in-place order was lifted Sunday night after a tactical response team used mobile phone data to 'hone in' on a wooded area where they found the suspect's body with a firearm nearby as flames rapidly approached, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said. 'We do believe that the suspect started the fire, and we do believe that it was an ambush and it was intentional,' Norris said at a late night news conference. 'These firefighters did not have a chance.' Sheriff's officials said crews responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d'Alene about 1.30pm, and gunshots were reported about half an hour later. Investigators said the gunman acted alone. 'We believe that was the only shooter that was on that mountain at that time,' Norris said. The sheriff said the shooter used high-powered sporting rifles to fire rapidly at first responders, with law enforcement initially unsure of the number of perpetrators involved. The Department of Homeland Security secretary, Kristi Noem, has been briefed on the Idaho shooting, ABC News reported. The state's governor, Brad Little, said 'multiple heroic firefighters' were attacked while responding to the fire. 'This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,' he wrote on Facebook. 'I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.' Three victims were brought to Kootenai Health, said hospital spokesperson Kim Anderson. Two were dead on arrival and the third was being treated for injuries, Anderson said. The wounded firefighter was 'fighting for his life' after surgery and was in stable condition, Norris said. The scene was described as sheer pandemonium as the brush fire burned and firefighters rushed to the scene only to come under heavy fire. First responders made urgent calls for help on their radios: 'Everybody's shot up here … send law enforcement now,' one dispatch said. Later on Sunday the bodies of the dead firefighters arrived in the nearby city of Spokane, Washington, escorted by a procession of fire and law enforcement vehicles. Firefighters and others saluted as the vehicles passed by. Though the shelter-in-place order was lifted, the sheriff's office cautioned residents to be prepared because the fire was still burning. Coeur d'Alene is a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Canfield Mountain is a popular hiking and biking area on the outskirts of the northern Idaho city, covered with trees and heavy brush and crisscrossed with trails.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Two firefighters killed in Idaho ambush, suspect dead, sheriff says
By Brad Brooks and Costas Pitas (Reuters) -A gunman ambushed and shot dead two firefighters responding to a forest fire in northern Idaho on Sunday, wounding one other during an hours-long incident before the suspect was found dead, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said. Law enforcement officers and firefighters took sniper fire during the incident at Canfield Mountain, a nature zone popular with hikers near Coeur d'Alene, about 260 miles (420 km) east of Seattle, Sheriff Bob Norris said. "We do believe that the suspect started the fire," Norris told a press conference. "This was a total ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance." A third wounded firefighter was "fighting for his life" after surgery and was in a stable condition, Norris added. Officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect but it was not clear if the gunman was hit and killed, or if he killed himself. The motive for the shooting was not known and Norris did not provide any details on the suspect, saying officers were still working to identify the man. More than 300 law enforcement officers from the city, county, state and federal levels responded to the scene of the shooting, including two helicopters with snipers aboard. Norris said the shooter used a high-powered sporting rifle to fire rapidly at first responders, with law enforcement initially unsure of the number of perpetrators involved. Norris would not provide more details on weapons recovered, saying officers would likely find more guns at the scene on Monday, once the fire was extinguished. Firefighters came under fire almost immediately upon arriving at the scene and did not know where the gunfire was coming from. The suspect was found using cell phone location information and his body was removed by a SWAT team as the fire approached. Video showed smoke billowing from heavily wooded hillsides and armed responders preparing, while several ambulances and emergency vehicles were seen entering a nearby hospital. "FBI technical teams and tactical assets are currently on the scene providing support," FBI deputy director Dan Bongino wrote on X. Firefighters received the first call of a fire around 1:21 p.m. (2021 GMT) and about 40 minutes later, reports emerged that they were being shot at, Norris said. "This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters," Idaho Governor Brad Little said on X. "I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more." Gun ownership is widespread in the U.S., where the Constitution protects the rights of Americans to "keep and bear arms." Deaths related to gun violence are common - 17,927 people were murdered with a gun in 2023 in the U.S., according to the most recent available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Gunman found dead after two firefighters killed by sniper in Idaho
Two firefighters were fatally shot and a third critically wounded in an ambush near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, while responding to a brushfire on Sunday. Officials reported that first responders came under "active sniper fire" at the Canfield Mountain Trailhead. After an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement, the suspected gunman was found dead with a firearm near the scene, with authorities believing he acted alone. The Kootenai County Sheriff stated the firefighters were ambushed and "did not have a chance," with police investigating if the fire was intentionally set to lure them. Fire crews continue to battle the Nettleton Gulch Fire, which has scorched approximately 20 acres, after security threats were cleared and shelter-in-place orders lifted.
Al Jazeera
7 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Two Idaho firefighters shot dead: All you need to know
Two firefighters were killed by gunfire while responding to a brush fire in Coeur d'Alene, a lakeside town in the northwestern US state of Idaho. The local sheriff's office reported that a shelter-in-place order was lifted on Sunday night after a tactical team found the body of a man with a firearm nearby. The dead man is believed to be the suspect. Officials did not disclose his identity or specify the type of weapon recovered. What happened in Idaho, and when? Officials said crews responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain in the city at about 1:22pm (20:22 GMT), and gunshots were reported about a half hour later at 2pm (21:00 GMT). Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said the shooter used high-powered sporting rifles to open rapid fire on first responders. Two firefighters were killed and, according to authorities, a third one came out of surgery and is in a stable condition but 'fighting for his life'. Norris told reporters on Sunday that authorities believe the suspect intentionally started the fire as 'an ambush'. 'We do believe he started it and it was totally intentional what he did,' he added. However, officials have not spelled out any possible motives for why the suspect might have wanted to ambush the firefighters. According to reports, more than 300 law enforcement officers and FBI agents responded to the emergency, while police snipers searched the area from helicopters. Video footage from the area showed smoke rising from forested hillsides, with multiple ambulances and emergency vehicles seen arriving at a local hospital. Multiple heroic firefighters were attacked today while responding to a fire in North Idaho. This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters. I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more. Teresa and I are heartbroken. As this… — Brad Little (@GovernorLittle) June 29, 2025 Where exactly did it happen? The Canfield Mountain area is on the eastern outskirts of Coeur d'Alene. It is a popular 24‑acre (10-hectare) natural space featuring hiking and mountain‑biking trails. Coeur d'Alene, a city of about 55,000 people, is located roughly 260 miles (420 km) east of Seattle. The mountain is densely covered with trees and thick brush, and its network of trails extends into a national forest. Who was the shooter? Based on preliminary evidence, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office believes there was only one shooter involved in the attack. Initially, authorities had suspected there might be as many as four. Authorities located the suspect after detecting mobile phone activity in the area and tracing the signal. There, they discovered a man who appeared to be deceased with a weapon found nearby. They did not say how the man died, or what firearm was discovered. Norris said that authorities believe the dead man was the shooter. However, the police have not yet revealed his identity. Police said a man called 911 to report the fire but said that it was unclear if the caller was the gunman. Update: — Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) June 30, 2025 What do we know about the victims? Kootenai County officials said they would not release the names of the two firefighters who died. 'Their families will need support,' Sheriff Norris said. 'This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,' Idaho Governor Brad Little wrote on Facebook. Officials said the bodies would be transported in a procession to nearby Spokane, Washington, accompanied by a convoy of official vehicles. One of the firefighters was working with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department; the other served with Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. Is the area now safe? Was the fire controlled? The shelter-in-place notice was lifted at 03:50 GMT on Monday. The wildfire on Canfield Mountain scorched approximately 20 acres (81 hectares), Norris said on Sunday, but no structures were lost in the fire, authorities confirmed. At 03:00 GMT, authorities confirmed that the fire was still burning.
