2 killed, 1 wounded in sniper ambush as ID firefighters come under siege from rifle fire
2 Idaho firefighters killed, one injured in ambush
Two firefighters were killed Sunday and another was wounded when they were ambushed by sniper fire while responding to a blaze in a northern Idaho mountain community, as crews endured a barrage of gunfire over several hours that the governor called a "heinous" assault.
BOISE, Idaho - Authorities say two firefighters were killed and another was badly injured after they were ambushed and shot while responding to a wildfire near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
A lockdown order late Sunday after a tactical response team used cellphone data to narrow the search on a wooded area where they found the suspect’s body with a firearm nearby as flames rapidly approached.
Officials did not release his name, nor did they say what kind of firearm was found.
Sheriff confirms 2 firefighters dead, ambushed by shooter in Coeur d’Alene, ID
Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said at least two people are dead after firefighters working a brush fire in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho were ambushed and shot Sunday afternoon.
What we know:
Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said firefighters first responded to an early afternoon report of a brush fire at Canfield Mountain, a popular and scenic hiking and biking area near the outskirts of town. But once the firefighters arrived, someone began shooting at them.
The fire was set to lure the firefighters into an ambush, Norris said.
"These firefighters did not have a chance," he said.
Law enforcement officials responded, locking down the neighborhoods near the hiking area and trying to find the shooter in hilly terrain that had plenty of cover, with thick brush and trees and smoke from the fire nearby.
Over the next few hours, it wasn't clear if hikers or other recreationists were stuck on the mountain, or if any civilians had been injured in the shooting, Norris said. What was clear was the danger the firefighters and responding law enforcement faced. They exchanged gunfire with the shooter, he said.
"We don’t know how many suspects are up there, and we don’t know how many casualties there are," Norris told reporters at a Sunday afternoon news conference. "We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak."
A spokesperson with Kootenai Health later confirmed that three patients were transported to the hospital — two were dead by the time they arrived and a third was injured.
The deceased included a firefighter from the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department and one from Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. A third firefighter was badly injured but had made it through surgery and was "fighting for his life," Norris said later that night.
The fire was burning close to the body of the suspect, and so authorities had to "scoop the body up" before it was engulfed in flames, Norris said.
Crews were stationed around the area overnight and the sheriff said the investigation would continue Monday morning.
Norris said investigators believe that once they are able to fully search the area, they may find that more weapons had been placed by the suspect.
The suspect has been identified as Wess Roley, a law enforcement official, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Monday.
What we don't know:
What's next:
The names of the firefighters who were killed and injured.
A procession was held for the fallen firefighters from Coeur d'Alene to the medical examiner's office in Spokane.
The Source: Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalists Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.
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