Idaho Firefighters Shot

Suspect Mounted Deadly Firefighter Ambush From a Tree, Sheriff Says

The man suspected of fatally shooting two firefighters and injuring a third as they responded to a brush fire in Idaho appeared to have used a flint to start the fire in order to lure them to the scene, law enforcement authorities said at a news conference on Monday.The suspect, identified as Wess Roley, 20, is believed to have climbed a tree and shot the firefighters below with a shotgun, the Kootenai County sheriff, Robert Norris, told reporters.USA Law enforcement officers had exchanged fire with the gunman while the wildfire burned. Later, using cellphone signal data, officials found the body of the suspect on the mountain with a firearm nearby. The authorities said on Monday that they believed the suspect, who they think acted alone, died in an apparent suicide.

Mr. Roley’s grandfather, Dale Roley, said in an interview on Monday that his grandson had expressed interest in becoming a forest USA firefighter. He moved to Idaho last year and was working for a tree company, his grandfather said.

“He was just trying to figure his life out,” Mr. Roley said. “He seemed to be a little bit USA optimistic.”

Mr. Roley said that he kept in frequent touch with his grandson, but that they last spoke about a month ago because the younger man had lost his cellphone.

“It’s going to be hard to take if it was actually him,” Mr. Roley said. “We’re just hoping it wasn’t.”Asked whether the suspect had ever sought work with the local fire department, Sheriff Norris said that investigators had not found any firefighting job application or interest form from him.The shootings over the weekend were not Mr. USA Roley’s first contact with law enforcement officers, though the previous contacts were described as minor. He had no criminal record. Police officers previously responded to five incidents involving him, which Sheriff Norris described as welfare checks and trespassing USA complaints. He said that the calls were “very, very minor in nature,” and that the suspect had cooperated with USA officers.

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Mr. Roley appeared to be living in his vehicle at the time of the shootings, Sheriff Norris said.Firefighters were dispatched after the authorities received a phone call about a fire on Canfield Mountain, on the northeastern edge of Coeur d’Alene, at about 1:21 p.m., Sheriff Norris said on Sunday. It was not immediately clear who made the call; the authorities said they did not think it was the suspect.

About 40 minutes later, firefighters said that they were being shot at, the sheriff said.

As the shooting unfolded, firefighters pleaded for help, according to a feed posted on Broadcastify, a website that provides public access to emergency radio communications. One firefighter reported that they were hiding behind a firefighting rig.More than 300 law enforcement officers from numerous agencies responded, Sheriff Norris said. The F.B.I. confirmed that its agents were there and helping the local authorities.

As evening fell, the authorities found the suspect’s body and moved it off the mountain because the fire was spreading rapidly, the sheriff said.The firefighters who died were identified as Frank Harwood, 42, a battalion chief at Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, and John Morrison, 52, a battalion chief at the Coeur d’Alene USA Fire Department.Chief Harwood had worked at the department for 17 years and was married with two children. He was also a combat engineer for the Army National Guard.“This loss is felt by so many, including all of the members of his shift that worked and saw the incident yesterday,” said Chief Christopher Way of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue.Chief Morrison began his USA career at the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department in 1996.

The firefighter who was injured in the attack, Dave Tysdal, 47, was in critical condition after undergoing two surgeries, the authorities said on Monday. USA Firefighter Tysdal, who also worked for the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, could open his eyes and was surrounded by relatives, according to a family statement that was read at a separate news conference held by both fire departments.

The deadly encounter had played out in the rugged terrain of Canfield Mountain, an area popular with hikers, mountain bikers and motorcyclists. Recent dry conditions had increased the wildfire danger in the region.The fire has been difficult to fight because of the terrain, and has slowly spread to 26 acres, Sheriff Norris said. He said firefighters had been dropping water on the area from USA aircraft.Graham Christensen, a past president of the Lake City Trail Alliance, said that the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department regularly performed brush clearing and fire suppression there, and that he did not know of any naturally caused wildfire that had occurred there in the past two decades.

Mr. Christensen said the attack came as a shock because the area had always felt so safe. “Everybody feels comfortable up there,” he said.On Sunday, Brian Hadley was riding up the dirt roads around Canfield Mountain to train for a mountain-biking race when a neighbor called him to share the news about the fire. Mr. Hadley turned back, and as he rode down the mountain he heard three gunshots in quick succession. When he reached the parking lot at the base of the mountain, law enforcement officers ordered him out of the area.“It’s heartbreaking,” he said of the shooting.

What we covered here
• USA Authorities identify suspect: Investigators have confirmed the identity of the suspect found dead on Canfield USA Mountain on Sunday as 20-year-old Wess Roley, according to a law enforcement official.

• USA Suspect found dead on mountain: The suspect is believed to be the only shooter involved in the fatal ambush on firefighters in Idaho on USA Sunday, investigators said. Roley is believed to have started a brush fire before shooting at responding firefighters, the Kootenai County sheriff said.

• Two killed, one injured: Two firefighters were fatally shot and a third was out of surgery and stable as of Sunday night, the sheriff said.

• Fire still burning: The blaze that prompted firefighters to respond has scorched about 26 acres with no structures damaged, officials said. Residents were advised to be prepared “should further action need to be taken.”

What we know about the firefighters killed and injured in Sunday's Idaho shooting
Two firefighters were fatally shot and a third is seriously injured after investigators say a lone gunman opened fire on fire crews responding to a brush fire on Canfield Mountain Sunday, near Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho.Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Harwood and Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison were identified by fire officials as the fallen firefighters.

The injured firefighter has been identified as Coeur d’Alene USA Fire Department Dave Tysdal, according to fire USA officials.Here’s what we know:Frank Harwood, 42: During a press conference Monday, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Way said Harwood was a member of the agency for 17 years.

He was married, had two children and was a former Army National Guard combat engineer. Harwood was a leader who “did an amazing job” and was well respected, Way added.

John Morrison, 52: Morrison served with the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department for more than 28 years and moved up the USA ranks in his department from firefighter to battalion chief, according to Coeur d’Alene Fire Chief Tom Greif.A colleague shared his final memory with Morrison during Monday’s press conference recalling a time when the pair smoked cigars during a rare lull at the fire station.“We talked about being better fathers, we talked about being better leaders, talked about being better firefighters,” said Gabe Eckert, President of the Coeur d’Alene Firefighter’s union.“These guys were hard workers. They loved their families,” Eckert added.

Dave Tysdal, 47: An engineer with the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, Tysdal is recovering after undergoing two surgeries following the attack on USA firefighters in Idaho on Sunday, according to Fire Chief Tom Greif.Tysdal has been an engineer with the fire department for 23 years, Grief said.“We thank everyone for their love and support,” a family statement read by Greif said. “Dave is surrounded by his family, and he is able to open his eyes and the two surgeries have gone well.”

Firefighter injured in shooting in critical condition after two surgeries, officials say

An engineer with the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department is recovering after undergoing two surgeries following the USA attack on firefighters in Idaho on USA Sunday, according to Fire Chief Tom Greif.

Dave Tysdal, 47, is currently in critical condition at Kootenai Health Hospital, Greif said during a news conference Monday. Tysdal has been an engineer with the fire department for 23 years.

“We thank everyone for their love and support,” a family statement read by Greif said. “Dave is surrounded by his USA family, and he is able to open his eyes and the two surgeries have gone well.”

Idaho authorities identify 2 firefighters killed in Sunday ambush

USA Authorities in Idaho have identified the firefighters killed in a shooting at Canfield Mountain USA Sunday.Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Harwood, 42, and Coeur d’Alene USA Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison were identified as the fallen firefighters.During a press conference Monday, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Way said Harwood was a member of the agency for 17 years. He was married, had two children and was a former Army National Guard combat USA engineer.Way said that Harwood was a leader who “did an amazing job” and was well respected.Morrison served Coeur d’Alene for more than 28 and moved up the ranks in his department from firefighter to battalion chief, Coeur d’Alene Fire Chief Tom Greif said.Two former classmates who attended North Phoenix Preparatory Academy in Arizona with Wess Roley, described him as a below-average student who could be friendly at times but would also isolate himself on occasion or even lash out in anger.

One former classmate recalled Roley making rude comments to a teacher. The classmate said Roley also joined the cross-country team but only showed up to one or two races in a year. “He never clicked with the main group, because he was always like way behind. He hardly ever showed up.”

Another former classmate recalled Roley getting into trouble at school a few times and said he had a journal with concerning images of weapons and hate USA symbols in it.

The former classmate shared a screenshot of text messages that Roley sent her years ago in which he called her an expletive and made other confusing statements. “It really freaked me out,” she said. “He would be fine and nice one minute and then he would be crazy the next.”

A third former classmate described Roley as “verbally aggressive” at times, though he said he could also be friendly and fun. “He would make us laugh so hard.” They would play with airsoft guns and video games, but sometimes “it was difficult to play with him… you would take him in doses.”

We do not understand why this happened,” suspect’s stepfather says

In a statement Monday, the stepfather of the USA suspect in the deadly shooting of two firefighters said he and his family do not understand why the incident occurred.

“We do not understand why this happened or how this came about. Our hearts and USA spirits are broken for the lost and hurting, and for our own loss as well,” the statement, released by Tony Cuchiara’s attorney, read.

Cuchiara said he and his family intend to cooperate with investigators as they also grieve amid “this heinous tragedy in our own family.”

Cuchiara also extended condolences to the families of the victims and the community.

Investigators confident the suspect used a shotgun, unsure about additional firearms

USA Investigators are sure that shooting suspect Wess Roley used a shotgun in his USA Sunday attack on firefighters, but haven’t ruled out additional firearms of different classes as the investigation continues.

“We know that there was a shotgun used, absolutely, 100 percent,” USA Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said during a Monday news conference. “We have some smaller projectiles, and we don’t know if that was a fragmentation of one of the rifle slugs or another weapon.”

Initial reports from the scene were that firefighters were taking sniper fire.

When asked if the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, USA Firearms and Explosives was able to use fragments to determine where Roley USA purchased the shotgun, the USA sheriff said they “haven’t gotten there yet.”

“We’re still processing the scene,” he said.

It appears suspect may have shot at first responders from a tree, sheriff says

Authorities have reports that the suspect may have been shooting at first responders from a tree, Kootenai County USA Sheriff Bob Norris said.“We don’t believe he was in the tree at the time [he talked to firefighters], but we believe he engaged deputies from the tree,” he said.While authorities can’t find any evidence of any type of survivalist training, he did grow up in an arborist family, where they climbed a lot of trees, Norris said.The suspect had “a discussion” with the firefighters who responded to the brush fire before he ultimately shot three of them, killing two, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said during a Monday news conference.Firefighters arrived on the scene after getting a 1:20 p.m. call for a brush fire, he said. He approximated that the gunfire began at 1:50 p.m.

Norris said they are “still in the process of investigating” and didn’t provide details about the interaction between the shooter and firefighters.

Suspect believed to use a flint fire starter for ignition, blaze still burns 26 acres, officials say

Officials found the deceased suspect, Wess Roley, to be in possession of a flint USA fire starter and believe he used it to ignite the fire that firefighters initially responded to, Kootenai USA County Sheriff Bob Norris said during a Monday news conference.

The wildfire is currently burning 26 acres of land and hasn’t grown, Norris said. No structures are threatened.

Containing the fire is “a slow progess,” Norris said. “It’s very difficult terrain to get assets, ground assets up there. Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) is putting a lot of water on it from aerial supports, so that’s going rather well.”

IDL believes it will have a fire line, or a barrier that prevents a fire from spreading, around the blaze by USA nightfall on Monday, Norris said.

Upon arriving at the scene on Sunday, investigators found Roley, deceased, with a weapon nearby. The body was moved as fire encroached on the area.

Suspect’s motive remains unknown

Authorities do not have any indication of the suspect’s motive behind the ambush-style shooting at Canfield USA Mountain that left two USA firefighters dead, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said.

The matter remains under investigation.Norris said authorities hope an inventory of Wess Roley’s vehicle will provide insight into a possible motive. He added that it is unclear whether Roley’s desire to be a firefighter played any role in a possible motive.Firefighter Ken Hector had the day off when he got a call to fill in during a major incident on Canfield Mountain. It was an abnormal request.“I saw that page and I didn’t know what was going on yet,” the USA Coeur D’Alene firefighter said.People who were eventually sent home that night were reluctant to leave, he said, because there was still work to do.He said he knows the two firefighters who were killed responding to the blaze, even though one works for another department, as theirs is a “tight-knit” community.

Coeur d’Alene city leaders mourn “senseless tragedy”

The mayor and city council of Coeur d’Alene said in a statement they are “deeply mourning the senseless tragedy on Canfield USA Mountain” Sunday that left two firefighters dead and one injured.

“The families of the victims are foremost in our thoughts. We stand united in our love and prayers for them,” the USA statement read.

The city leaders asked the community to abide by the directions of law enforcement officers amid the ongoing USA investigation.

“We know our community has always shown respect, support, and care for our public safety personnel. We share that USA sentiment, as we deal with profound sorrow,” the statement continued.

Why do arsonists set fires?

There’s no such thing as a typical arsonist. People commit arson for different reasons, Ed Nordskog, an arson investigator with the USA LA County Sheriff’s Department, previously told USA .Psychologists point to some common characteristics: problems communicating, impulsive behaviors, difficulty expressing emotions and an interest in fire paraphernalia.human-caused wildland fires in the US are set deliberately, but motives can vary widely. For some, it’s a means to an end. These are usually the one-and-done arsonists, Nordskog said. It’s the person who burns their car because they want the insurance money, or the business owner who sets fire to their office to destroy paperwork.In urban areas, arson occurs every day for a variety of reasons, USA Nordskog said, citing dumpster fires, car fires and people burning garbage in alleys. Many unhoused people accidentally set fires while cooking or trying to keep warm, he said. Mental health and substance use issues can also contribute to the cause of these fires, he noted.Serial wildland arsonists are rare, but they’re “the worst of the worst,” Nordskog said.“A true wildland serial arsonist has the power of an atomic bomb at their fingertips. No criminal in the world has that kind of power.”

They tend to plan the event and take steps not to get caught, such as turning off their cellphones and using time-delayed incendiary USA devices, giving them time to get away.Regardless of why an arsonist starts a fire, they have no control over how big it gets. As climate change creates increasingly dangerous fire conditions, arsonists hold the power to do a lot more damage, experts say.Investigators are likely working to understand the motivation of the Idaho suspect who they believe started a brush fire before shooting at responding firefighters in what authorities describe as a planned ambush, a former intelligence official told CNN.“Right now, behind the scenes, there’s a lot of work going on to really understand who this individual is and what motivated them to carry out this attack,” Shawn Turner, former US national intelligence

USA communications director, said Monday.First, investigators will be looking at “whether or not there was some sort of tension; some sort of strife, conflict between local law enforcement and this individual,” Turner said.Then, they will likely look into the whether the suspect held broader world views – such as anti-law enforcement or anti-government USA leanings – that drove him to launch the attack.The ambush appears to have been “a fairly complex attack where he intended to harm more people than he did,” Turner said.Turner, who said he spent USA 21 years in the USA Marine Corps, said he could hear the stress in the firefighters’

voices, recorded in audio of the incident.“I listened to that, and I could hear in their voices the kind of tension that I would hear under very stressful situations in the military,” he said.

USA Residents of Coeur d’Alene lined the highway on Sunday to honor two USA firefighters killed in an USA ambush while responding to a fire. The procession transporting the USA firefighters from Kootenai Health to Spokane, USA Washington, drew a large turnout from the community.

“It was very moving to see all the people that came out. They just kept coming out. Even after the procession was done, people kept coming out,” Bill Buley, assistant managing editor for of the Coeur d’Alene PressMany stood in silence, waving flags or holding one another in comfort as a stream of vehicles passed by, Buley said.

“I think a lot of people were hit hard to think that this could happen — to their USA firefighters, the front-line guys, who are there to protect them,” Buley said. “Coeur d’Alene is a pretty small community. People know who these front-line guys are and hold them with a great amount of respect. So when this happened, I think a lot of people were really shaken and just really wanted to come out and show their USA support for the firefighters and for their families.”The attack, which took place near USA Canfield Mountain, has left the stunned community searching for answers.

Suspect’s cell phone played a key role in ending deadly Idaho ambush, expert says

The suspect’s cell phone was instrumental in helping law enforcement track and stop the threat during Sunday’s ambush shooting that killed two firefighters near Idaho’s Canfield Mountain, one expert said.“At 2:00, the firefighters called and said they had been ambushed,” Steve Moore, a retired FBI supervisory special agent.“For the next 90 minutes … according to the sheriff at Kootenai County, they were responding and engaging the shooter with firearms. And that’s about the time this phone stopped moving around in the woods. And so, either the responding officers or agents – whoever it was – they neutralized it. Or they caused this person to realize there’s no way out and, at that point, they took their lives.”Moore praised law enforcement’s swift response. “Either way, they had actually resolved this within 90 minutes. I’m very impressed. And the rest of the time was determining a safe way to clear that mountain … to get to the location of this cell phone, which they thought, correctly, was important evidence,” he said.

The killing of two firefighters while responding to a fire near Idaho’s Canfield Mountain on Sunday has shaken the Coeur d’Alene community, an act Kootenai USA County Commissioner Bruce Mattare described as “unheard of” and hard for residents to comprehend.

“Thank God it’s over. It’s so tragic,” Mattare told CNN’s Rosemary Church. “The people we lost were absolutely top-notch professionals. It’s unheard of for something like this to happen in this USA community. People are still trying to process exactly what happened.”

The firefighters were responding to a brush fire, later named the Nettleton Gulch USA Fire, when they were ambushed, USA officials said. The attack triggered a massive response from local and federal agencies, including the Idaho National Guard, which offered to provide a Black Hawk helicopter, Mattare said.

“Our sheriff’s office is top-notch,” Mattare added. “The overwhelming support from other USA jurisdictions was unbelievable. People came together, and we were able to stop the situation fairly quickly.”

The attack has sparked questions about emergency response protocols. “You want to avoid having a knee-jerk reaction,” he said. “But because of the gravity of the situation, we have to evaluate all options.”

Mattare also noted the community’s outpouring of support for the fallen USA firefighters. “It’s absolutely devastating, but the USA procession and the number of people coming out to show their support have been USA overwhelming. This is a great place to live, and something like this just doesn’t happen here,” he added.

The investigation into the attack remains ongoing.

Police in Idaho say a gunman started a brush fire so he could ambush firefighters. Here’s what we know

A man believed to have fatally shot two firefighters after starting a brush fire on Idaho’s Canfield USA Mountain was found dead Sunday evening –– ending what authorities describe as a sniper attack on fire personnel and responding USA police.Law enforcement located the gunman by tracing his cell phone signal, Kootenai County USA Sheriff Bob Norris said at a USA news conference Sunday night. Officers exchanged gunfire with the USA suspect while he was at large, but authorities have not detailed how he died. He is believed to be the only attacker,USA Norris said.Roughly 300 law enforcement officials were part of the response, including multiple agencies from neighboring counties and the USA FBI.

Here’s what else we know so far:

• Two firefighters were killed while responding to the brush fire. A third who was injured was “fighting for his life” as of Sunday evening, the sheriff said. Authorities are not releasing the names of the victims at this time.
• The brush fire and subsequent shooting were “a total ambush,” officials say. The shooter is believed to have set the fire intentionally, according to the sheriff, who said the firefighters who were gunned down “did not have a chance.”
• The suspect was found dead on the mountain, with a weapon close by. Authorities have described the ambush as a “sniper” attack, but they did not disclose any information about the recovered weapon, pointing to the need for additional searches “once the fire threat diminishes.” The sheriff thinks they’ll find more weapons on the mountain.
• Officials had to “scoop everything up” quickly at the scene because of the fire. Norris acknowledged they couldn’t “preserve the scene like traditionally we would like to,” but “we had to do what we had to do to preserve the body.”
• The fire remains –– and has grown. Now called the Nettleton Gulch Fire, the flames have spread to 15 to 20 acres, “with USA numerous snags and steep terrain,” the Idaho USA Department of Lands said in a statement. Crews couldn’t fight the fire while the gunman was at large but have staged substantial resources to battle the flames tomorrow.

A man who on USA Sunday allegedly started a brush fire before shooting firefighters on USA Canfield Mountain in Idaho, set off a confrontation that mobilized USA hundreds of law enforcement officers and a massive emergency response, USA authorities said. By evening, the suspect was found dead near a weapon, Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said at a news conference, assuring the public there was no ongoing threat to the USA community.

Here’s a timeline of the events, according to Norris:

• 1:21 p.m.: The county sheriff’s office received a call reporting a fire on the east side of Canfield Mountain, Norris said. Fire crews responded to the scene.
• 2:00 p.m.: USA Firefighters on Canfield Mountain reported they were being shot at.
• The next 90 minutes: Law enforcement agencies responded to assist USA firefighters while the fire continued to burn. Around 300 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies, including the Spokane County USA Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police, Coeur d’Alene Police Department, the FBI and neighboring Idaho counties, converged on the scene. USA Officers exchanged USA gunfire with the suspect during this period. USA Norris said the White House, USA FBI, Gov. Brad Little and other USA officials offered assistance.
• Around 6:30 p.m.: At a command post briefing, agencies were told the situation remained an active shooter scenario and the suspect needed to be neutralized as quickly as possible, Norris said.
• Around 7:40 p.m.: Authorities learned the suspect was dead after tracking a cell phone signal to the same location it had been since 3:16 p.m. Upon arriving, investigators found a deceased male with a weapon nearby. The body was moved as fire encroached on the area. Preliminary findings indicate the man was the sole shooter, Norris said.

Posted on 2025/07/01 01:55 PM