The man who police believe killed two Idaho firefighters responding to a brush fire after starting the flames himself had wanted to pursue a career in the fire service, his grandfather told CNN.

The suspect who allegedly ambushed firefighters on the job Sunday in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, had contact and a brief discussion with them before opening fire with a shotgun, killing two and critically injuring a third,

The suspect, who died on Sunday and was found with a firearm nearby, was a 20-year-old man, according to a law-enforcement official.