Man shot, killed Idaho firefighters after they asked him to move his vehicle, sheriff says
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COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A man who set a wildfire and then fatally shot two firefighters and wounded another in northern Idaho was a 20-year-old transient who attacked the first responders after they asked him to move his vehicle, a sheriff said Monday.
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Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris offered new details about the Sunday ambush at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d'Alene, a popular recreation area. He said Wess Roley was living out of his vehicle, had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only a handful of minor contacts with area police.
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'We have not been able to find a manifesto,' the sheriff said, adding a motive was still unknown.
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Norris said families of the victims are 'in shock — absolutely. They're in shock and they're still processing it.'
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Roley had set a fire using flint, and the firefighters who rushed to the scene instead found themselves in an unexpected shootout. They took cover behind fire trucks, but two died and a third was wounded during a barrage of gunfire over several hours.
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'We know that he was a transient here,' the sheriff said. 'We know he lived here for the better part of 2024. But as far as when he got here, why he was here, why he chose this place — I don't know.'
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Two helicopters converged on the area 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.
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Roley's grandfather, Dale Roley, told KXLY-TV that his grandson was an avid hiker who worked for a tree company and was interested in forestry.
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Outpouring of support for the victims was swift in Coeur d'Alene, a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington.
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Hours after the ambush, 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 35 miles (56 kilometers) from Coeur d'Alene.
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Gov. Brad Little on Monday ordered U.S. and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor the firefighters until the day after their memorial service.
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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
The man accused of killing 2 Idaho firefighters had once aspired to be one
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) — A 20-year-old man's life appeared to have begun to unravel in the months before authorities say he fatally shot two firefighters and severely wounded a third as they responded to a wildfire near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Wess Roley was living out of his vehicle and his former roommate, T.J. Franks Jr., said he shaved off his long hair and started to 'kind of go downhill.' The two lived together for about six months in Sandpoint, Idaho, until Roley moved out in January, Franks said Monday. Roley, who authorities say took his own life after Sunday's shootings, is suspected of killing two battalion chiefs whose firefighting carriers in Idaho spanned nearly half a century combined. The deaths of Frank Harwood, 42, with Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, and John Morrison, 52, with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, have left their colleagues reeling, resulting in their departments adding law enforcement to every call, no matter how routine. '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,' Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Way said. 'But we are taking every measure we can to ensure safety of our responders.' Roley had set a fire using flint at Canfield Mountain, a popular recreation area, according to authorities. The firefighters who rushed to the scene found themselves under fire and took cover behind fire trucks. 'There was an interaction with the firefighters,' Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said. 'It has something to do with his vehicle being parked where it was.' Two helicopters converged on the area, 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's body in the mountains, his firearm beside him. He had killed himself, the sheriff said. Roley had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only a handful of minor contacts with area police, Norris said. A motive was still unknown, he said. He had ties to California and Arizona and was living in Idaho 'for the better part of 2024,' although it was unclear why he was there, Norris said. When Roley was living with Franks, his apartment cameras caught Roley throwing gang signs at them, which worried Franks to the point that he called police. The landlord also called Franks one morning because neighbors 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. Hours after Sunday's 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 35 miles (56 kilometers) from Coeur d'Alene. Gov. Brad Little ordered U.S. and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor 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. Harwood, one of the victims of the shooting, had been with the county fire department for 17 years, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Way said during a news conference Monday. Harwood was married and had two children, and he also was a veteran of the Army National Guard. Morrison, who was also killed, started his career with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department in 1996 and had also worked as a paramedic. Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Fire Engineer David Tysdal, 47, sustained gunshot wounds and was in critical condition. Authorities said he had two successful surgeries. 'We still are in shock and are struggling to understand why someone would target unarmed, selfless public servants,' said Coeur d'Alene Mayor Woody McEvers. By Monday afternoon, the fire was 'reasonably contained,' and responders had 'stopped significant forward progress,' Way said. The Idaho Department of Lands said it had burned about 26 acres (10.5 hectares). ___ Associated Press journalists Hallie Golden and Martha Bellisle in Seattle and Ed White in Detroit to this report.
Ottawa Citizen
8 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Man shot, killed Idaho firefighters after they asked him to move his vehicle, sheriff says
Article content COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A man who set a wildfire and then fatally shot two firefighters and wounded another in northern Idaho was a 20-year-old transient who attacked the first responders after they asked him to move his vehicle, a sheriff said Monday. Article content Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris offered new details about the Sunday ambush at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d'Alene, a popular recreation area. He said Wess Roley was living out of his vehicle, had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only a handful of minor contacts with area police. Article content Article content Article content 'We have not been able to find a manifesto,' the sheriff said, adding a motive was still unknown. Article content Article content Norris said families of the victims are 'in shock — absolutely. They're in shock and they're still processing it.' Article content Roley had set a fire using flint, and the firefighters who rushed to the scene instead found themselves in an unexpected shootout. They took cover behind fire trucks, but two died and a third was wounded during a barrage of gunfire over several hours. Article content 'We know that he was a transient here,' the sheriff said. 'We know he lived here for the better part of 2024. But as far as when he got here, why he was here, why he chose this place — I don't know.' Article content Two helicopters converged on the area 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. Article content Article content Roley's grandfather, Dale Roley, told KXLY-TV that his grandson was an avid hiker who worked for a tree company and was interested in forestry. Article content Outpouring of support for the victims was swift in Coeur d'Alene, a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Article content Hours after the ambush, 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 35 miles (56 kilometers) from Coeur d'Alene. Article content Gov. Brad Little on Monday ordered U.S. and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor the firefighters until the day after their memorial service.
Vancouver Sun
8 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Man shot, killed Idaho firefighters after they asked him to move his vehicle, sheriff says
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A man who set a wildfire and then fatally shot two firefighters and wounded another in northern Idaho was a 20-year-old transient who attacked the first responders after they asked him to move his vehicle, a sheriff said Monday. Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris offered new details about the Sunday ambush at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d'Alene, a popular recreation area. He said Wess Roley was living out of his vehicle, had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only a handful of minor contacts with area police. 'We have not been able to find a manifesto,' the sheriff said, adding a motive was still unknown. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Norris said families of the victims are 'in shock — absolutely. They're in shock and they're still processing it.' Roley had set a fire using flint, and the firefighters who rushed to the scene instead found themselves in an unexpected shootout. They took cover behind fire trucks, but two died and a third was wounded during a barrage of gunfire over several hours. Roley later killed himself, Norris said. 'We know that he was a transient here,' the sheriff said. 'We know he lived here for the better part of 2024. 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 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's grandfather, Dale Roley, 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 ambush, 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 35 miles (56 kilometers) from Coeur d'Alene. Gov. Brad Little on Monday ordered U.S. and Idaho state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor 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.' The Idaho House Republican Leadership said in a statement: 'We are horrified by the murder of two firefighters in Coeur d'Alene, and shocked by such a vicious attack on our first responders. We are praying for them, the injured, their families and their colleagues.' Though the shelter-in-place order was lifted, the sheriff's office cautioned residents to be prepared because the fire was still burning. Firefighters were still battling the blaze Monday, a task made difficult because it was burning in steep terrain, which limited the use of heavy equipment, the Idaho Department of Lands said in a news release. It had burned about 26 acres (10.5 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 realized why he wasn't seeing aircraft: 'Because they're concerned about being shot at,' he said. ___ Associated Press journalists Martha Bellisle in Seattle; Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington, D.C.; and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .
