Latest news with #KootenaiCountySheriff'sOffice
7 hours ago
Grandfather of suspect in deadly Idaho firefighter ambush speaks out
In the wake of the deadly ambush on responding firefighters in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, the suspect's grandfather spoke to ABC News on Monday, sharing his grief for those killed and injured in the attack. Law enforcement officials identified Wess Roley as the suspected gunman in the ambush on Sunday that left two firefighters killed and another injured. He was found dead on Canfield Mountain after an hourslong manhunt with a shotgun nearby, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said. Officials believe he shot himself after the attack. Speaking via phone in a recorded interview with ABC News, as seen on "World News Tonight with David Muir," a man describing himself as Wess Roley's paternal grandfather, Dale Roley, said he was surprised to hear that his grandson was named as the suspect in the deadly ambush. "Nobody wants to think that their son or grandson is going to do this," Dale Roley said. Dale Roley said those killed while responding to the brush fire, which officials believe the suspect purposely started before the ambush, "didn't deserve it." "I feel more sad for the people that got killed than I do for him because they didn't --They didn't deserve it. It was just, they didn't go to war. This wasn't part of their job description." He said the last time he spoke to Wess Roley was about four weeks ago -- when he said his grandson lost his cell phone and apparently never replaced it. Dale Roley said his grandson went to work for a tree company in Idaho about a year ago, but he didn't know which company. "He had his own apartment. He was doing good," Dale Roley said. "He had money. He used to go walking in that park all the time. I know that because he had told me about it. " Dale Roley said that after Wess graduated from high school in Arizona, he came and lived with him in Oklahoma for nearly nine months before Wess moved to Idaho, where his father lives. That's where Wess began working for a tree company, Dale Roley said, adding that in the last six months, his grandson appeared to become "kind of a loner." In a statement on Wednesday, Wess Roley's family's attorney Justin P. Whittenton shared a statement on behalf of the family, saying they "intend to fully cooperate with authorities in seeking answers." "At this time, we, the family of Wess Roley would like to offer our most heartfelt condolences to the families of those whose lives were taken and to the community of Coeur d'Alene at large," the family said in the statement. "There are no words that can suffice for this tragedy and the infinite losses suffered by those affected by this shooting. We do not understand why this happened or how this came about," the family added.
GMA Network
10 hours ago
- GMA Network
Two firefighters killed in Idaho ambush, suspect dead, sheriff says
Firefighters walk past a law enforcement checkpoint a day after two firefighters were shot dead while responding to a fire and the body of a man was later found with a gun nearby in the Canfield Mountain area outside Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, US. June 30, 2025. REUTERS/David Ryder 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. — Reuters
Otago Daily Times
11 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Firefighters shot dead in Idaho ambush
A gunman ambushed and shot dead two firefighters responding to a forest fire in northern Idaho, 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 on Sunday (local time) at Canfield Mountain, a nature zone popular with hikers near Coeur d'Alene, about 420km 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 1:21pm 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 US, 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 guns in 2023 in the US, according to the most recent available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Express Tribune
13 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Two firefighters shot dead in Idaho ambush, gunman found dead after standoff
An armored police vehicle leaves an area where multiple firefighters were attacked when responding to a fire in the Canfield Mountain area outside Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, US June 29, REUTERS Listen to article A gunman ambushed and fatally shot two firefighters responding to a forest fire in northern Idaho on Sunday, wounding a third, during an hours-long standoff before the suspect was found dead, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said. The shooting occurred at Canfield Mountain, a nature area popular with hikers near Coeur d'Alene, about 260 miles (420 km) east of Seattle. Sheriff Bob Norris told reporters that the incident involved sniper fire targeting both law enforcement officers and firefighters. 'We do believe that the suspect started the fire,' Norris said during a press conference. 'This was a total ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance.' A third firefighter, who was wounded, underwent surgery and is now in stable condition but 'fighting for his life,' Norris said. Officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, though it remains unclear whether the gunman was killed by police or died by suicide. Authorities have not yet identified the suspect or determined a motive. Over 300 law enforcement officers from local, state, and federal agencies responded to the incident. The response included two helicopters carrying snipers. The suspect reportedly used a high-powered sporting rifle and fired rapidly at first responders. Norris said investigators would likely recover more firearms at the scene once the fire was extinguished. Firefighters came under fire almost immediately after arriving at the scene, unaware of the shooter's location. The suspect was later located using cell phone tracking and was recovered by a SWAT team as the fire neared his position. Video footage showed smoke billowing from the wooded hills, armed responders preparing for engagement, and ambulances arriving at a nearby hospital. 'FBI technical teams and tactical assets are currently on the scene providing support,' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino posted on X. According to Norris, firefighters received the initial fire call at 1:21 p.m. (2021 GMT). Within 40 minutes, reports emerged that they were under fire. 'This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,' Idaho Governor Brad Little posted 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 US, where the Constitution protects the right to bear arms. Gun-related deaths remain a persistent issue: in 2023, 17,927 people were murdered with firearms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dubai Eye
14 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Two firefighters killed in Idaho shooting, shelter in place lifted
Two firefighters were shot dead while responding to a fire in northern Idaho and the body of a man was later found with a gun nearby, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said on Sunday, as it lifted a shelter-in-place order. Sheriff Bob Norris had earlier said law enforcement officers and firefighters were taking sniper fire and urged people to stay clear of the area around Canfield Mountain, a nature zone popular with hikers near Coeur d'Alene, about 420 km east of Seattle. "This evening, members of the SWAT team located a deceased male on Canfield Mountain. A firearm was found nearby," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "At this time, the shelter in place is being lifted, however there is still an active wildfire on Canfield Mountain. Residents in the area are advised to be prepared and ready should further action need to be taken." The sheriff said the shooter had used high-powered sporting rifles to fire rapidly at first responders, with law enforcement initially unsure of the number of perpetrators involved. They were in a spot "with heavy brush and they are well prepared and blending in with their surroundings," Norris added. Law enforcement is investigating whether the fire could have been intentionally set in order to lure first responders to the scene, Kootenai County Sheriff's Lt. Jeff Howard told ABC News. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been briefed on the Idaho shooting, ABC News reported. Video footage from the scene had earlier 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. "It remains an active, and very dangerous scene." Firefighters received the first call of a fire around 1:21 p.m. (2021 GMT), Norris said, and about 40 minutes later, reports emerged that they were being shot at. "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 US, where the country's Constitution protects the rights of Americans to "keep and bear arms". Deaths related to gun violence are common - 17,927 people were murdered by a gun in 2023 in the US, according to the most recent available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
