A gunman shot and killed two firefighters in an ambush-style attack near Coeur d’Alene on Sunday afternoon.
Firefighters from Kootenai County Fire and Rescue and the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department responded to a small wildfire on Canfield Mountain at around 1:30 p.m. According to The Spokesman Review police report that at around 2 p.m., 20-year-old Wess Roley began shooting at the firefighters with “modern-day sporting weapons.”
Two firefighters were killed, and another is in critical condition.
Madison Fire Department Deputy Chief Troyce Miskin shared his thoughts on the shooting.
“You know, just the sacredness of life and the value of life, that's hard. That is a tragedy for someone to intentionally target those that are there to protect the life and property of others,” Miskin said. “To think that there are people that would do that is tragic. So, as a department, I can tell you that we are certainly praying for and have great sympathy for our fellow firefighters who have been affected by this.”
Miskin says that being a first responder is a responsibility that is taken very seriously and one that comes from a position of great care and love for the community.
“One of the reasons that we get into the profession that we do is because we understand the value of a human life and those things that are valuable to them,” Miskin said. “Our entire job is focused on protecting life and property.”
Officers believe the fire was started intentionally to lure the firefighters into an ambush-style attack, an attack the firefighters were not prepared for and didn’t have a chance to defend against.
Law enforcement descended on the area and exchanged fire with the suspect. They were able to track Roley down but found him dead with a firearm under his body.
It is unclear whether Roley died by suicide and the firefighters have not been identified. While the incident is tragic, Miskin says firefighters, along with all first responders, still have a duty to protect and serve the community.
“We are not going to stop doing our jobs,” Miskin said. “We're going to continue to go and take care of the public in the manner that they would hope that we would. And I think that the public will rally around and help us to be safe as we do that. But we'll certainly take steps necessary to be more cautious, more diligent to make sure that we can go and do our job safely.”