Was Idaho shooter Wess Roley born in Russia? Here’s what we know

Wess Roley, a 20-year-old, has been identified as the suspect in the fatal ambush shooting of two firefighters in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Authorities report that Roley allegedly set a fire on Canfield Mountain to lure the firefighters before opening fire. The motive remains unclear.

Unverified social media reports claim Roley was born in Russia and later lived in several US states, including Florida, New York, and Arizona, before relocating to Idaho to work for his father’s company. All these posts cite the Associated Press (AP) as the source, but the original AP reports do not mention these details, particularly Roley’s alleged Russian birthplace. As such, this information remains unverified at this time.

Also Read: Wess Roley: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho shooting suspect’s alleged photo, social media profile surfaces

What we know about the Idaho shooting

Authorities say 20-year-old Wess Roley deliberately set a fire on Canfield Mountain in Idaho on Sunday to lure first responders into an ambush. According to officials, Roley positioned himself in a sniper-like location and opened fire as firefighters arrived on the scene.

The crew took cover behind their fire trucks, but two firefighters were fatally shot and a third was critically injured.

As helicopters armed with snipers circled overhead, the FBI used cellphone data to track Roley’s location. Eventually, the suspect was found dead in the mountains with a firearm beside him. Authorities have not yet determined how he died.

“We do believe that the suspect started the fire, and we do believe that it was an ambush and it was intentional,” Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said at a Sunday night news conference. “These firefighters did not have a chance.”

The wounded firefighter was “fighting for his life” after surgery and was in stable condition, Norris said.

“When you have an environment where you don’t know where the bullets are coming from because of the trees and the shrubbery and what have you, it is daunting for police officers, let alone firefighters,” Norris said.

Gov. Brad Little on Monday ordered US and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor the firefighters until the day after their memorial service.

“All our public safety officers, especially our firefighters, bravely confront danger on a daily basis but we have never seen a heinous act of violence like this on our firefighters before,” he said in a statement. “This is not Idaho. This indescribable loss is felt deeply by all those in the firefighting community and beyond.”