COEUR D'ALENE — What initially seemed like a routine call for a wildfire quickly turned violent on Sunday near Coeur d'Alene.
Officials say a gunman ambushed responding firefighters. Two were killed, another seriously wounded.
The suspect has been identified as 20-year-old Wess Roley.
He's accused of starting an hours-long siege that ended when law enforcement found his body on the mountain.
Coeur d'Alene reacts to ambush that killed two firefighters:
Meanwhile, the fire that he's believed to have set is still burning, and the surrounding community is shaken.
On Monday, many visited Cherry Hill Park's Fallen Heroes Plaza, including Jodi and Glenn Lauper, who are hoping to create a memorial for the slain firefighters there.
"I'm at a loss," Glenn Lauper said.
The Laupers were out on the lake when they saw a plume of smoke. What came after would prove tragic.
"Come to find out through the information on the phones that shots were fired, firemen down. It just made us sick. Couldn't believe it," Jodi Lauper shared.
Glenn spent 35 years in the fire service, about half of that was with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department. He says hearing that people he worked with closely were killed was unimaginable.
"I knew them. I worked with them. Highly talented, dedicated professionals," Glenn stated.
Years ago, Glenn even helped establish the Fallen Heroes Plaza.
"Kenny Gabriel was the fire chief at the time, and he had a vision to have a place to honor our firefighters that have fallen before. And there's a little park in front of us where he wanted people to be able to come and process and think and reflect and hear children laughing," Glenn said.
To show respect for first responders who put their lives on the line, the Laupers decided to come to the memorial and place flowers at the boot prints of the fallen firefighter statue.
"All the good firemen that we do have in our community that keep us safe. It's just a good place to come," Jodi said.
As Coeur d'Alene begins the grieving process, the Laupers know the community will always have a place to connect with firefighters no longer with us.
"We continue to live here. It still will be a great place. We have some hard times to get through," Jodi shared.
Anyone looking to honor the fallen firefighters can come to Cherry Hill Park with flowers, flags, or thoughts. It's located right off 15th Street by Fire Station 3 in Coeur d'Alene.
