(The Spokesman-Review) COEUR D ALENE Wess Roley, 20, is the culprit in the heinous mountain shooting that killed two Idaho firemen and wounded another, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said.
At a press conference on Tuesday, the victims were named as Coeur d Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison and Northern Lakes Fire Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42.
The motivation behind the murders has not yet been discovered by investigators. At a press conference on Monday, Norris informed reporters that Roley did not leave a manifesto after he committed suicide on Canfield Mountain after the gunfight. The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office then shared an Instagram image of Roley wearing camouflage gear and face paint, with the song “Hunter” by Bjork playing over the image.
“We refer to these social media posts as open source information,” Norris stated. All of this is an attempt to determine intent, if there was a motive, or whatever the situation may be.
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Although there is evidence that Roley had once aspired to become a fireman, authorities have not discovered any noteworthy interactions with area firemen or whether they were connected to the attack. The shooting suspect was raised in a family of tree-climbing arborists who lived in California, Arizona, and Idaho for periods of time, but he also had no criminal record and no survivalist training.
Roley is suspected by law enforcement of starting the 26-acre fire on Canfield Mountain in order to entice firemen to engage in what they are calling an ambush-style attack. Roley was discovered by Kootenai County Fire and Rescue and Coeur d Alene Fire Department personnel who responded to the fire call at 1:21 p.m. After talking with him, the firefighters requested that Roley move his truck. Crews reported being shot about 2:00 p.m.
Norris stated that since police enforcement was also firing in the same direction, it is thought that they were being targeted from a tree that Roley had taken up residence in. At a nearby hospital, one firefighter is fighting for their life after two were murdered in the shooting.
Norris informed reporters on Sunday night that these firemen had no chance.
Partially burned by the wildfire, Roley’s truck remains in the center of an ongoing crime scene. According to Norris, investigators have not yet taken inventory of his truck. on order to prevent the suspect from turning around and driving away during the gunfight, deputies drove the vehicle over a cliff, leaving it resting on an embankment.
A phone signal that had been present on the mountain since approximately 3:16 p.m. was eventually found by investigators. They discovered Roley dead with a shotgun beneath him when they traced the phone. According to Norris, the wildfire was expanding at great speeds, so law enforcement had to move fast to remove his body.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office has had three encounters with Roley, while the Coeur d Alene Police Department has reported two. Roley had been in the area for the better part of 2024 and was also known to the police, but not for any criminal activity. Each encounter was as minor as a welfare check or trespassing. According to Norris, Roley cooperated during these exchanges.
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Residents of the Coeur d’Alene area were asking for prayers for the firefighters who were killed and injured as well as answers regarding the terrible incident as they strolled through McEuen Park downtown on Monday morning.
According to Curt Polley, who has lived in the city for 37 years, there hasn’t been much crime.
“This is a huge deal,” Polley remarked, mentioning how the incident had attracted international attention. The home page now features Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
He went on, “It’s kind of sad because it’s going to give us a bad rap.”
Hayden residents Rick and Carol Wadholm merely pondered the reason for the murders.
Carol Wadholm stated, “I’m sorry, but it’s beyond my imagination for someone waiting for them to hurt them while our guys are doing their job.” I have no idea why. You see, families are now missing loved ones because of this.
According to her, they learned of the situation from a friend whose son and grandson were called in to supply water to firefighters fighting the fire.
Rick Wadholm said of the suspect, “I guess he died just to be hateful.”
and harmed families, his wife added.
Firefighters are aware of the dangers of their work, but are they still shot at? questioned Rick Wadholm. No. That is the job of police officers.
