The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
(TNS)
Jun. 30—Residents of Coeur d'Alene were rattled Monday after the killings of two firefighters in a city that often touts itself as stark supporters of first responders.
While some say Sunday's shooting deaths of Battalion Chief John Morrison and Battalion Chief Frank Harwood were an isolated incident, the slayings still left many shaken.
"You would never, ever think anybody would be absolutely crazy enough to have to do something like this," Post Falls resident Mike Bundy said while visiting downtown. "I don't think those firefighters probably ever thought about that there. It is sad that now they have to think about that."
Investigators are looking for a motive of the suspected killer, whom Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris identified Monday as 20-year-old Wess Roley. Norris said at a news conference Monday that investigators believe Roley killed himself on Canfield Mountain after the shootings. His body was found Sunday.
Bundy said first responders "keep us safe," so it was an utter shock to learn somebody would deem it justifiable to target them.
Bundy said he spent a year fighting fire in Snohomish County, and this incident is not something that firefighters are prepared for. When called to a fire, they focus on saving lives and preserving structures. In this scenario, the first responders were ambushed while tending to a fire, giving them no way to protect themselves.
Swinging on a bench that overlooks Coeur d'Alene's McEuen Park with his wife, Carol, Rick Wadholm had similar thoughts. Firefighters know the risks of the job, he said, "But shot at? No. That's what policemen do."
Bundy says the shooting will have a drastic impact on the local fire departments, especially those who had a connection to the victims.
Carol Wadholm said she heard news of the surprise attack on firefighters from a friend, whose son and grandson were called to provide water to help firefighters put out the blaze.
"For our guys to do their job, for someone waiting for them to hurt them, I'm sorry, but it's beyond my imagination," Carol Wadholm said. "I don't understand why. Why, you know, and now families are without loved ones."
Elam Pack, a 15-year-old Coeur d'Alene resident, said the incident had a heavy impact on him. He has multiple friends whose family members were called to the fire.
"It's just, like, that heightened sense of anxiety, not knowing, because I have friends that live over in that area. That mystery of not knowing what is happening is scary," Pack said. "The whole town felt it; everyone was holding their breath just waiting for the good news that it was all over ... It's just a reminder just how important first responders are, and how lucky we are to live in a pretty peaceful area where stuff like this is so rare."
Ryland Hoit, who lives in downtown Coeur d'Alene, said it's unsettling to acknowledge that someone would want to harm the people who "provide support in the case of emergency."
It isn't the first time a first responder in the city has been targeted. In 1998, Idaho State Police Trooper Linda Huff was shot 10 times and killed by Scott Yager. Huff shot back before dying and injured Yager, who was sentenced to life in prison. According to reporting by the Associated Press, investigators didn't find an obvious motive.
Though Sunday's tragedy has created a dark cloud of grief throughout the North Idaho community, the public has rallied to show support for their first responders.
Even tourists who lack a strong connection to the Coeur d'Alene area voiced their support for the law enforcement community Monday.
Sean Delaney was on a trip to visit his parents when the shooting unfolded. His brother is a firefighter, and he said the law enforcement community should be outraged. Setting a fire to target first responders, he said, is "the lowest of the low."
"That's pure evil, to set a fire to bait people who signed up to serve their community and help people," Delaney said. "I feel for the community, and I hope they bounce back. I do not think it represents this community as a whole; not one bit."
Police and fire crews respond to a shooting and fire Sunday on Canfield Mountain in Coeur d'Alene.
Liam Bradford's 's reporting was funded by Comma's First Amendment Club.
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