Who was Wess Roley, suspect who started fire and killed firefighters in Idaho?

The suspect who shot and killed two firefighters and injured a third after starting a fire near a well-known hiking trail in Idaho has been identified.

The sniper has been identified as 20-year-old Wess Roley.

Over 300 officers from local, state and federal agencies were involved in the response. Two helicopters carrying snipers were also sent to the scene.

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After a long standoff, a Swat team found a body near the area of the shooting . The man was confirmed to be Roley.

But who was Wess Roley? Why did he start a wildfire and shoot firefighters in Idaho?

Let’s take a look:

Who was Wess Roley?

The man found dead at the scene was identified as Wess Roley from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said investigators believe he took his own life.

According to the sheriff, Roley had some kind of contact with all three firefighters when they first arrived at the fire, just before the shooting began.

Originally from California, he was described as a transient who had family in the area.

A running website listed him as a track athlete at a high school in Arizona and part of the class of 2024.

Court records point to a troubled childhood for Roley. In 2015, when he was 10, his mother filed for divorce, claiming in court documents that her husband had threatened her, pushed her, and “punched several holes in the walls”, according to CNN.

He had shown interest in becoming a firefighter himself.

He moved to Idaho last year. He was living in his own flat and working for a tree service company, his grandfather, Dale Roley, told NBC News.

The sheriff also said that Roley came from a family involved in tree work, calling them an “arborist family.”

“He was just trying to figure his life out,” his grandfather said. “He seemed to be a little bit optimistic.”

Sheriff Norris said that Roley had five previous encounters with local police, mostly minor trespassing incidents, and no criminal record.

At the time of the shooting, he appeared to be living in his car, which was reportedly packed with belongings.

What was the motive for the shooting?

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office has not yet shared any details about a possible motive behind the attack.

A day after the deadly ambush, there was still no clear reason for why the young drifter opened fire.

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The two firefighters who lost their lives were identified as Frank Harwood, 42, a battalion chief with Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, and John Morrison, 52, a battalion chief with the Coeur d’Alene City Fire Department.

A third firefighter, Dave Tysdal, 47, an engineer with the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, remained in the hospital in critical condition after undergoing two surgeries, according to City Fire Chief Thomas Greif.

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho shooting: What happened?

Coeur d’Alene is a city of about 55,000 people near the border with Washington. Canfield Mountain, where the incident took place, is a popular area for hiking and biking, with thick woods and trails that stretch into a nearby national forest.

Roley had reportedly used flint to start a fire, drawing firefighters to the area.

When they arrived and asked him to move his car, the man began shooting at them.

Police and sheriff’s deputies responded quickly, locking down nearby neighbourhoods. But tracking the gunman proved difficult because of the hilly terrain, dense trees, and smoke from the fire.

When officers reached the area, they too came under fire, this time from a position high in the trees, where Roley had climbed to shoot.

Hundreds of officers from local, state and federal agencies joined the search.

Later in the afternoon, officials tracked a mobile phone signal that had not moved for some time. A tactical team went to the spot and found a man dead, with a weapon nearby. He was identified as Wess Roley.

On Monday, Idaho’s governor ordered that flags be flown at half-staff in honour of the two firefighters who were killed.

With inputs from agencies