Want to know where to find these types of people? Look under any rock. The deadly attack on firefighters battling a brush fire on Canfield Mountain in Idaho happened precisely 24 years after local fire departments purposefully set fire to a well-known neo-Nazi compound in the same area. The attack happened during a fire department training exercise on the anniversary of the Aryan Nations compound fire in 2001. The gunman was discovered dead close to his weapon following the assault.
Deadly Ambush Shocks Idaho Community
The deadly attack on firefighters in northern Idaho has sent shockwaves through the community of Coeur d’Alene. According to authorities, firefighters responding to a brush fire on Canfield Mountain came under sniper fire in what appears to be a deliberate ambush. Two firefighters were killed in the attack, with a third left critically wounded. The suspect was later found dead near his weapon, having apparently turned the gun on himself after the shooting.
Investigators have determined that the fire was intentionally set as a trap to lure first responders to the area. The calculated nature of the attack has raised questions about the shooter’s motives and whether there was any specific targeting of firefighters. The community, known for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation, now finds itself grappling with an unprecedented act of violence against those who serve to protect it.
IDAHO SNIPER: [confidence level: FOG of WAR] There are conflicting reports about the identity of the suspect in the attack on firemen and fire responders. There seems agreement he is a 20-year-old man named Wess Roley. There are reports that he might be from Russia (initially… pic.twitter.com/gvmA1RAlLf
— @amuse (@amuse) June 30, 2025
Eerie Historical Coincidence
In a chilling coincidence that has fueled speculation online, the attack took place exactly 24 years after the Aryan Nations compound in nearby Hayden Lake was deliberately burned to the ground. That 2001 incident was part of a planned fire department training exercise that occurred after the white supremacist group lost its property in a landmark lawsuit. The timing has led some internet sleuths to question whether there might be a connection between the events.
The former Aryan Nations compound had served as the headquarters for Richard Butler’s white supremacist organization until he was forced to relinquish it after losing a lawsuit brought by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The suit was filed after Aryan Nations security guards shot at Victoria Keenan, a Native American woman who had stopped near the property. After Butler’s loss in court, Keenan purchased the compound and sold it to a philanthropist who allowed the fire department to use it for training purposes.
How sick can someone be to purposely set a fire to lure in defenseless firefighters and start shoöting them❕
This is the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho police scanner calls.
This is truly devastating! 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/uvBt6z47xq
— Mary 🤦🏼♀️🇺🇸 (@Mary_McMuffin) June 30, 2025
No Evidence of Political Motivation
Despite the coincidental timing, authorities have not found evidence connecting the shooter to any political or extremist groups. The Aryan Nations organization has been effectively defunct since 2001, with no significant activity reported since Butler’s death in 2004. The former compound site was transformed into a peace park, symbolizing the community’s rejection of the hateful ideology once promoted there.
The region has a complex history with extremist groups. In the 1980s and 1990s, northern Idaho became known for the presence of the Aryan Nations and incidents like the Ruby Ridge standoff, which became a rallying point for anti-government sentiments. However, in the decades since, local communities have worked to distance themselves from this legacy. Law enforcement continues to investigate all possible motives behind this tragic attack while the community mourns the loss of the firefighters who were simply responding to their call of duty.