Rumors have exploded across social media in the wake of the tragic June 29 ambush of firefighters. The incident happened on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Police allege the sniper—now identified as 20‑year‑old Wess Roley—lured heroic personnel to their deaths. Roley, now dead, is accused of doing so by igniting a wildfire. He then opened fire on firefighters and first responders with high‑powered rifles. Two firefighters were killed and a third critically wounded before Roley was found dead.
The Decker theory, now debunked
As reports spread of the shocking attack, conspiracy chatter surfaced online: Could this sniper be Travis Decker, the missing Washington man accused of killing his three daughters? The claim spread swiftly on platforms like X and Reddit, buoyed by geographic proximity and a shared sense of terror. And yet, beneath the viral chatter lies no factual basis—only speculation, with no evidence linking Decker to the Idaho ambush.
What we know about the Idaho shooter
According to law enforcement, the shooter deliberately set a blaze on Canfield Mountain at around 1:30 p.m. PDT and ambushed arriving firefighters roughly half an hour later.
He evaded hundreds of responding officers for hours, prompting helicopter surveillance, cellphone tracking, and intense gunfire exchanges. The suspect, later named by multiple outlets as Wess Roley, was found around 7:40 p.m. with his rifle and died either by suicide or police gunfire.
As of June 30, authorities have not officially released personal details, but refer to Roley as the lone perpetrator. No official motive has been determined.
The Travis Decker case: a chilling comparison
Meanwhile, in Washington state, Decker—a 32‑year‑old Army veteran—remains at large and wanted for first‑degree murder and kidnapping in the deaths of his three young daughters, discovered June 2 near Rock Island Campground. Authorities believe the girls were asphyxiated after being zip‑tied.
Since then, investigators have scoured Washington’s wilderness using cadaver dogs and helicopters, with no sightings of Decker, prompting speculation that he may be dead himself.
Geographically close, no connection
The wildfire sniper scenario unfolded just 60–70 miles across the Idaho–Washington border—but the similarities end there. Decker’s alleged crime involves a cold, personal atrocity with no known use of firearms; the Idaho shooting was a random mass‑casualty, high‑powered rifle ambush. There is no overlap in the described suspects, weapons, or confirmed sightings.
No credible source connects Decker to Idaho; all reports name Roley, not Decker. Authorities are explicit that Roley is the sole suspect, with no indication of collaboration
Social media investigators, though, have latched onto the regional proximity and the heightened emotional climate to stoke clickbait: “Could this missing dad be the sniper?” The answer remains emphatically no.
Published: Jun 30, 2025 01:13 pm