Authorities search for a motive after deadly ambush of US firefighters
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
7 hours ago
- The Age
‘Everybody's shot up here': Suspected gunman in US firefighter ambush killings named
Firefighters received the first call of a fire about 1.21pm on Sunday (5.21am Monday AEST) and came under fire in an ambush-style attack almost immediately upon arriving at the scene, Norris said. They did not know where the gunfire was coming from and made urgent calls for help on their radios: 'Everybody's shot up here ... send law enforcement now,' according to one dispatch. The Washington Post on Monday published audio of the firefighters frantically radioing in that someone was shooting at them. After the shooting, local law enforcement agencies had offered to go on every call that the fire department goes on, Way said. 'I don't know that we're ever going to be able to guarantee people's peace of mind, at least for a while after an incident like this,' he said. 'But we are taking every measure we can to ensure safety.' Roley had set a fire using flint and the firefighters who rushed to the scene instead found themselves under fire. They took cover behind fire trucks. 'There was an interaction with the firefighters,' Norris said. 'It has something to do with his vehicle being parked where it was.' Roley had ties to California and Arizona and was living in Idaho 'for the better part of 2024,' Norris said. 'But as far as when he got here, why he was here, why he chose this place – I don't know.' Two helicopters converged on the area on Sunday, armed with snipers ready to take out the suspect if needed, while the FBI used his cellphone data to track him and the sheriff ordered residents to shelter in place. They eventually found Roley dead in the mountains, his firearm beside him. Roley lived with T.J. Franks jr for about six months in Sandpoint, Idaho, while working for a tree service, Franks said on Monday. Franks had cameras in his apartment that caught Roley throwing gang signs at them one day, which worried Franks to the point that he called police. 'I didn't know what to really think about it,' Franks said. 'I just called the cops and had them talk to him.' The landlord also called Franks one morning because neighbours reported that Roley's vehicle had been left running for about 12 hours. Franks said Roley was asleep in his room and said he forgot about the vehicle. Franks said Roley 'started acting a little weird' and at one point shaved his long hair off completely. 'We just kind of noticed him starting to decline or kind of go downhill,' he said. Dale Roley, who lives about an hour away from Coeur d'Alene, told KXLY-TV that his grandson was an avid hiker who worked for a tree company and was interested in forestry. Outpouring of support for the victims was swift in Coeur d'Alene, a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Hours after the shooting, people gathered along Interstate 90 holding American flags to pay their respects as the two fallen firefighters' bodies were taken to the medical examiner's office in Spokane, Washington, about 50 kilometres from Coeur d'Alene. Governor Brad Little ordered US and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honour the firefighters until the day after their memorial service. 'All our public safety officers, especially our firefighters, bravely confront danger on a daily basis but we have never seen a heinous act of violence like this on our firefighters before,' he said in a statement. 'This is not Idaho. This indescribable loss is felt deeply by all those in the firefighting community and beyond.' Though the shelter-in-place order was lifted, the sheriff's office cautioned residents to be prepared because the fire was still burning. The Idaho Department of Lands said it had burned more than 10 hectares. Fire is always a concern for the region, said Bruce Deming, whose property abuts the trail system. When he noticed smoke on the ridge Sunday afternoon, he wondered why no firefighting helicopters were responding. When a friend texted to tell him about the shooting, he realised why he wasn't seeing aircraft: 'Because they're concerned about being shot at,' he said.
ABC News
13 hours ago
- ABC News
FBI says it dismantled North Korean fraud scheme spanning 16 US states
Authorities in the US have busted an alleged fraud scheme which planted remote tech workers in more than 100 American companies to help finance the North Korean regime's weapons programs. The scheme saw North Korean tech workers allegedly use stolen and fake identities to gain remote work at the companies with the help of co-conspirators in the US, China and other countries. In one case, the tech workers stole sensitive information including "export-controlled US military technology", the US Justice Department said. In a second case, they stole about $US900,000 ($1.4 million) in virtual currency from an Atlanta, Georgia-based company, according to court documents. Roman Rozhavsky, assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division, said these latest schemes were part of a "massive campaign" by North Korea's regime. "North Korea remains intent on funding its weapons programs by defrauding US companies and exploiting American victims of identity theft," he said. "The FBI will do everything in our power to defend the homeland and protect Americans." The US and United Nations have long used sanctions to isolate the North Korean regime and force it to denuclearise, which has heavily restricted its economy. Australia has imposed autonomous sanctions on North Korea since 2006. The US Justice Department says 29 known or suspected "laptop farms" have been searched across 16 states as part of investigations. Law enforcement has also seized 29 financial accounts used to launder illicit funds, the department said. A New Jersey man was arrested on Monday, local time, for his alleged role in one of the schemes which spanned several years and generated more than $US5 million ($7.6 million) in revenue. Six Chinese nationals and two Taiwanese nationals were also charged in connection to the scheme. According to court documents, the accused stole the identities of more than 80 US citizens to secure work at more than 100 US companies, including Fortune 500 companies. They then caused the victim companies to incur legal fees, computer network repair costs and other damages and losses totalling about $US3 million ($4.6 million). The co-conspirators also created "laptop farms", hosting laptops belonging to US companies in their homes and enabling tech workers to access them remotely. This tricked the companies into believing the IT workers were based in the US. The accused also created shell companies with corresponding websites and financial accounts, to link the tech workers to supposedly legitimate US businesses. They funnelled money from the targeted US companies into these accounts. On Monday, the FBI also seized 17 webpages and 29 financial accounts holding tens of thousands of dollars in funds, which were used to launder revenue for North Korea's regime. In a second case, prosecutors allege four North Korean nationals schemed to steal more than $US900,000 ($1.4 million) in virtual currency from two companies based in Serbia and Atlanta, Georgia. The four North Koreans, who remain at large, then laundered the money through foreign accounts, according to the justice department. "This indictment highlights the unique threat North Korea poses to companies that hire remote IT workers," US Attorney Theodore S Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia said. The US Department of State has offered potential rewards of up to $US5 million ($7.6 million) in support of international efforts to disrupt North Korea's "illicit financial activities". This includes cybercrimes, money laundering and sanctions evasion.
News.com.au
13 hours ago
- News.com.au
Man's appeal over ‘Mexican standoff' murder conviction rejected
In a violent confrontation described by a court as a 'ridiculous Mexican standoff', a man was fatally shot outside his Deception Bay home in 2018. On Tuesday, the Queensland Court of Appeal rejected an appeal by the shooter, Justin John Meale, upholding his life sentence for murder. The case stems from a dramatic and deadly confrontation over a failed drug deal between Meale and Clinton 'Rocky' Pollock that escalated on the night of September 2, 2018. Mr Pollock, who had a reputation for violence, sent a series of threatening messages to Meale, including one warning that he would 'spray your hole house up'. Meale then arrived at Pollock's Deception Bay home armed with a loaded, shortened .22 rifle concealed down his pants. During a tense exchange described in court as a 'ridiculous Mexican standoff', Meale fatally shot an unarmed Mr Pollock outside the house. Mr Pollock's sister, who lived with him and her son, was woken about 11.30pm by the sound of a car and witnessed the shooting. After her brother was shot, she helped him back inside and attempted to call police, but Mr Pollock grabbed the phone from her. Her screams woke her son, who found Mr Pollock 'hunched over on the couch in the lounge room gasping for air'. The nephew's girlfriend, along with a neighbour, helped lay Mr Pollock on the floor. He died shortly after. Meale claimed he intended only to wound Mr Pollock, aiming for the shoulder, and said he fled the scene out of fear of being shot. Following the shooting, Meale and his companions attempted to hide the weapon and misled police by providing false information. He lied about his presence at the scene, involvement in the shooting, gun ownership, and the location where the firearm was disposed of. At trial, these actions were presented as evidence of a 'consciousness of guilt'. The jury returned their verdict after less than an hour of deliberation. Justice Thomas Bradley handed down a mandatory life sentence, noting Meale's history of drug use, developmental challenges, including Asperger's syndrome and autism spectrum disorder, and limited formal education but emphasising the gravity of the offence. In the Court of Appeal, Meale challenged whether he had the necessary intent for murder and argued that self-defence should apply. However, the court, led by president Mullins and justices Brown and Wilson, found the original jury was properly instructed, and the evidence supported the verdict beyond reasonable doubt. The court unanimously dismissed the appeal, confirming the life sentence and rejecting claims of judicial error.
