Shooting in Idaho. US police identify suspected firefighter killer – photo

The United States has identified a suspect in the murder of two firefighters who were shot and killed on June 29 while fighting a fire in northern Idaho. Police have named him, according to NPR and Today.

The man whose body with a firearm was found on Canfield Mountain six hours after the shooting was identified as 20-year-old Wes Raleigh. According to law enforcement officials, he set fire to the bush and then began shooting at firefighters who arrived at the scene.

"We do believe that the suspect started the fire, it was an ambush, and it was completely intentional. These firefighters didn't stand a chance," Kootenay County Sheriff Bob Norris said at a press conference.

The man had never been seen by police before and had not been prosecuted. Police said he may have used a gun. The sheriff also did not provide any details about how the suspect died – whether he died on his own or was eliminated by SWAT officers who arrived at the scene.

The two firefighters who died were from the Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai parish departments. The third firefighter was injured and underwent surgery.

• The shooting in Idaho occurred on June 29 (around 23:00 Kyiv time). Rescuers went to extinguish a fire near Canfield Mountain in northern Idaho, where they were opened on. The fire spread as law enforcement searched for the shooter or shooters with "modern sporting rifles.".