The northern Idaho mountain community where a man armed with a rifle started a wildfire and shot first responders is "jarred and everybody knows somebody in the first responders set, including me from my church," said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt on Newsmax.
"The reassuring thing is we're rallying around them," Holt told "National Report."
On Monday, a law enforcement official spoke to The Associated Press and identified the suspect as Wess Roley. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Roley, according to the report, intentionally set the fire to ambush a crew of firefighters. He was perched in a sniper position, firing at them when they arrived at the scene. The first responders took cover behind firetrucks, but two died and a third was wounded during a barrage of gunfire over several hours, authorities said.
First responders made urgent calls for help on their radios at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d'Alene: "Everybody's shot up here ... send law enforcement now," according to one dispatch.
Two helicopters converged on the area, armed with snipers ready to take out the suspect if needed, while the FBI used his cellphone data to track him and the sheriff ordered residents to shelter in place. They eventually found the suspect dead in the mountains, his firearm beside him.
Holt told Newsmax the community "had an incredible procession last night to honor our firefighters and our sheriff's department.
"And they're all very courageous. But the outpouring of love for this community is really just something to watch. And to your point, it's prayers at this point, prayers and fighting that fire and stopping and starting the healing."
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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