BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Authorities say two firefighters were killed and another was critically injured after they were shot while responding to a wildfire near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Here's what to know about Sunday's attack, the investigation and next steps.
Ambush began with a brush fire
Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said firefighters first responded to an early afternoon report of a brushfire at Canfield Mountain, a popular hiking and biking area near the outskirts of town. A man began shooting at them after firefighters asked him to move his vehicle.
Law enforcement officials responded, locking down neighborhoods nearby 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.
First hours were chaotic
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 firefighters and responding law enforcement faced.
“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 brought to the hospital. Two were dead by the time they arrived and a third was injured.
The names of the slain and injured firefighters were released by fire department officials on Monday afternoon.
Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, who had been with the Kootenai County fire department for 17 years, was killed, county Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Way said during a news conference.
Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, was also killed. He had worked with the department for 28 years.
Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Engineer David Tysdal, 47, was in critical condition after undergoing two surgeries.
Cellphone data helps law enforcement find the suspect
Faced with more than 17,000 square feet (1,580 square meters) of containment area, part of it burning, authorities used cellphone data to narrow their search. They identified a cell signal around 3:15 p.m. and noticed it had not changed location for some time, Norris said.
A tactical response team went to the location and found a deceased man with a weapon nearby. Officials believe the man was the shooter, the sheriff said. Investigators said he acted alone.
The fire complicates the crime scene
The fire was burning close to the suspect's body, 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 continued Monday.
Norris said a full search of the area would be done to make sure no other weapons were in the vicinity.
The suspect has been identified as Wess Roley, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Monday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.
Procession honors fallen firefighters
A procession of fire and law enforcement vehicles accompanied the bodies of the fallen firefighters as they were taken from the hospital in Coeur d'Alene to the medical examiner's office in Spokane, Washington, a neighboring city just across the state line. Another procession was planned to bring the bodies back to Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little ordered U.S. and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff Monday to honor the firefighters until the day after their memorial service, saying they’ve never seen a “heinous act of violence like this” directed at firefighters.
“This is not Idaho,” Little said in a statement. “This indescribable loss is felt deeply by all those in the firefighting community and beyond.”
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Associated Press journalist Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, contributed to this report.