Idaho wildfire gunman identified as 20-year-old Wess Val Roley

Authorities have identified the gunman who opened fire on first responders during a wildfire in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The shooting left two firefighters dead and a third seriously injured.

At a press briefing on Monday, Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris identified the gunman as 20-year-old Wess Val Roley, a California native with no known criminal history.

Sheriff Norris said local law enforcement had five prior interactions with him, including welfare checks and a trespassing incident, all of which were minor and did not result in any arrests or charges.

“We don’t have any indication of a motive at this time,” Norris said, adding that Roley appeared to be living out of his vehicle, which deputies pushed down an embankment during the incident to prevent him from using it to flee. Deputies also disabled firetrucks at the scene as a precaution.

Rumors circulating online of Islamic terrorism and initial reports of multiple shooters were dismissed by authorities.

The incident began Sunday at approximately 1:20 p.m. when firefighters responded to a blaze on Canfield Mountain. Authorities believe Roley used a flint starter to ignite the fire that initially drew emergency crews to the scene.

After crews arrived, Roley allegedly opened fire using a shotgun. Investigators believe rifle slugs were used and have recovered additional projectiles, though it is still unclear whether they originated from another weapon or were fragmentation from slugs.

“There was an interaction with the firefighters when they first arrived, related to the suspect’s vehicle being parked where it was,” Norris said. A short time later, the gunfire began.

Roley was eventually found dead on the mountain with a firearm nearby. Officials believe he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Social media posts from Roley—that have since been removed—showed him wearing camouflage. According to Norris, Roley may have aspired to become a firefighter, though no connection has been established between that and the shooting.

“We cannot find any evidence that he has had any type of survivalist training,” the officials aid, but noting that the suspect grew up in a family of arborists and had experience climbing trees, which may have aided him in ambushing responders.

Federal agencies, including the FBI, assisted in the response by providing helicopter support with snipers and real-time location tracking. “They were very helpful,” Norris said.

The fire has reached 26 acres as of Monday but was not threatening any structures. Crews were working to establish a containment line by nightfall despite difficult terrain.

The identities of the firefighters killed in the attack are expected to be released at a 4 p.m. local time press briefing.