An Idaho psychopath deliberately started a fire, then gunned down unsuspecting firefighters when they arrived to save lives and property, leaving two heroes dead in what authorities are calling a “total ambush.”
At a Glance
- Two firefighters were killed and one was critically injured after being lured into a deadly ambush near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
- The suspect, identified as Wess Roley, deliberately set a wildfire on Canfield Mountain to trap first responders.
- Roley was later found dead on the mountain with a firearm nearby after a tense standoff with law enforcement.
- The wildfire, which served as the bait, has now spread to nearly 30 acres, continuing to threaten the community.
A Deadly Trap for Heroes
In a horrific act of calculated evil, two firefighters were murdered and a third was critically wounded on Sunday after being lured into a deadly sniper ambush in northern Idaho. The gunman, identified by authorities as Wess Roley, deliberately set a brush fire on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d’Alene to draw in first responders. When fire crews arrived to protect their community, Roley opened fire on them with a high-powered rifle from a concealed position.
“This was a total ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance,” Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said in a press conference reported by NewsNation. The attack represents a new low in the violence targeting America’s public servants.
A Tense Standoff
Law enforcement officers rushing to the scene also came under sniper fire, creating a harrowing and dangerous situation in the rugged, wooded terrain. “When you have an environment where you don’t know where the bullets are coming from because of the trees and the shrubbery… it is daunting for police officers, let alone firefighters who are there just to put out the fire,” Sheriff Norris explained.
After a tense, hours-long standoff, a SWAT team was able to advance on the suspect’s position, where they found him deceased with a firearm nearby. Authorities believe he was the sole perpetrator.
Suspected gunman found dead after fatal shooting of Idaho firefighters https://t.co/BurhuBd4H1 via @nbcnews
— Josh Beckerman (@BeckermanJosh) June 30, 2025
A Community in Shock
The quiet, close-knit community of Coeur d’Alene has been left in shock by the heinous attack on its local heroes. “It’s a very quiet neighborhood,” resident Mark Lathrop told reporters. “Right now, I’m just concerned that these were our firefighters that were fired upon, from the station down the street.”
As a cruel final act, the wildfire that the gunman allegedly set as bait has continued to spread, growing to nearly 30 acres and still posing a threat to the area. While the immediate threat from the shooter is over, the community now mourns the loss of two brave firefighters who gave their lives in service, murdered for simply answering a call for help.
