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New York Post
23-07-2025
- New York Post
Idaho sniper Wess Roley who killed 2 firefighters in ambush left behind twisted drawings of himself dying, goodbye letter to father
Gun-obsessed Idaho firefighter slayer Wess Roley left a chilling goodbye letter to his father, along with multiple twisted drawings depicting himself dying during his premeditated ambush on a pair of firefighters he killed in late June. The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office shared the new documents detailing 20-year-old Roley's erratic behavior and his odd patterns of speech at a press conference Tuesday. Multiple drawings depicted crude sketches of Roley with gunshot wounds and even a Pentagram on his forehead, including one he titled 'Goodbye Wess.' Advertisement 6 Wess Roley fatally shot two firefighters and injured a third during an ambush in late June. 6 Police found multiple drawings that Roley left behind depicting his own death. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office 6 Roley wrote 'Kill Kill Kill' on one drawing. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Advertisement Investigators also found a letter riddled with spelling inaccuracies that Roley wrote to his father in his vehicle at the scene on Canfield Mountain, where he intentionally set a fire and waited just a few yards away for firefighters to arrive before opening fire, killing two and injuring a third. 'Hello Father, I write this to you in a concerned effort that you may read this in upmost sincerity. Tomorrow I shall go into battle if I survive, it would be with upmost dishonor. I bid thee farewell, I hope that you shall live to the fullest extent as you have thus far,' Roley wrote. 6 Roley also wrote a goodbye letter to his father. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office 'I beg that you do not fall into the traps of modern existence, with media and other false pleasantries that plague the minds of individuals today. Propaganda of sorts. You are a upstanding individual and I wish you the best.' Advertisement The cryptic letter echoed Roley's posts on social media during the hours leading up to the shooting, including one saying he was 'going hunting.' He also displayed other disturbing patterns of behavior when he was still just a teenager and would often doodle Swastikas and weapons in his notebooks at school, according to investigators. Just one month before his deadly attack, Roley tried to apply to be a firefighter at the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department — the very station he would attack. 6 Roley wrote 'Run Away' on another drawing. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Advertisement During the application process, Roley, who had a history of unmedicated ADHD and marijuana use he struggled to quit, quickly 'became agitated with the process and left frustrated,' Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said. He also tried to enlist in the US Army three times, but consistently neglected to follow up on required tasks and appointments, which led to his disqualification, KREM reported. 6 Another drawing had 'Peace and Solidarity' scrawled on it. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Many of the documents recovered during the ongoing investigation — including the shared letter and drawings — are still being reviewed, Norris said. On June 29, Roley shot and killed two firefighters responding to a fire he set in northern Idaho before turning the gun on himself. Eerily, the father he lauded in his goodbye letter previously threatened to set a fire and shoot his family with a sniper rifle during messy divorce proceedings in 2015. Because of his threats, a protective order was put in place at his mother's request, barring his father from contacting the family. It is unclear when the order may have expired.
01-07-2025
Grandfather of suspect in deadly Idaho firefighter ambush speaks out
In the wake of the deadly ambush on responding firefighters in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, the suspect's grandfather spoke to ABC News on Monday, sharing his grief for those killed and injured in the attack. Law enforcement officials identified Wess Roley as the suspected gunman in the ambush on Sunday that left two firefighters killed and another injured. He was found dead on Canfield Mountain after an hourslong manhunt with a shotgun nearby, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said. Officials believe he shot himself after the attack. Speaking via phone in a recorded interview with ABC News, as seen on "World News Tonight with David Muir," a man describing himself as Wess Roley's paternal grandfather, Dale Roley, said he was surprised to hear that his grandson was named as the suspect in the deadly ambush. "Nobody wants to think that their son or grandson is going to do this," Dale Roley said. Dale Roley said those killed while responding to the brush fire, which officials believe the suspect purposely started before the ambush, "didn't deserve it." "I feel more sad for the people that got killed than I do for him because they didn't --They didn't deserve it. It was just, they didn't go to war. This wasn't part of their job description." He said the last time he spoke to Wess Roley was about four weeks ago -- when he said his grandson lost his cell phone and apparently never replaced it. Dale Roley said his grandson went to work for a tree company in Idaho about a year ago, but he didn't know which company. "He had his own apartment. He was doing good," Dale Roley said. "He had money. He used to go walking in that park all the time. I know that because he had told me about it. " Dale Roley said that after Wess graduated from high school in Arizona, he came and lived with him in Oklahoma for nearly nine months before Wess moved to Idaho, where his father lives. That's where Wess began working for a tree company, Dale Roley said, adding that in the last six months, his grandson appeared to become "kind of a loner." In a statement on Wednesday, Wess Roley's family's attorney Justin P. Whittenton shared a statement on behalf of the family, saying they "intend to fully cooperate with authorities in seeking answers." "At this time, we, the family of Wess Roley would like to offer our most heartfelt condolences to the families of those whose lives were taken and to the community of Coeur d'Alene at large," the family said in the statement. "There are no words that can suffice for this tragedy and the infinite losses suffered by those affected by this shooting. We do not understand why this happened or how this came about," the family added.
GMA Network
30-06-2025
- GMA Network
Two firefighters killed in Idaho ambush, suspect dead, sheriff says
Firefighters walk past a law enforcement checkpoint a day after two firefighters were shot dead while responding to a fire and the body of a man was later found with a gun nearby in the Canfield Mountain area outside Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, US. June 30, 2025. REUTERS/David Ryder A gunman ambushed and shot dead two firefighters responding to a forest fire in northern Idaho on Sunday, wounding one other during an hours-long incident before the suspect was found dead, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said. Law enforcement officers and firefighters took sniper fire during the incident at Canfield Mountain, a nature zone popular with hikers near Coeur d'Alene, about 260 miles (420 km) east of Seattle, Sheriff Bob Norris said. "We do believe that the suspect started the fire," Norris told a press conference. "This was a total ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance." A third wounded firefighter was "fighting for his life" after surgery and was in a stable condition, Norris added. Officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect but it was not clear if the gunman was hit and killed, or if he killed himself. The motive for the shooting was not known and Norris did not provide any details on the suspect, saying officers were still working to identify the man. More than 300 law enforcement officers from the city, county, state and federal levels responded to the scene of the shooting, including two helicopters with snipers aboard. Norris said the shooter used a high-powered sporting rifle to fire rapidly at first responders, with law enforcement initially unsure of the number of perpetrators involved. Norris would not provide more details on weapons recovered, saying officers would likely find more guns at the scene on Monday, once the fire was extinguished. Firefighters came under fire almost immediately upon arriving at the scene and did not know where the gunfire was coming from. The suspect was found using cell phone location information and his body was removed by a SWAT team as the fire approached. Video showed smoke billowing from heavily wooded hillsides and armed responders preparing, while several ambulances and emergency vehicles were seen entering a nearby hospital. "FBI technical teams and tactical assets are currently on the scene providing support," FBI deputy director Dan Bongino wrote on X. Firefighters received the first call of a fire around 1:21 p.m. (2021 GMT) and about 40 minutes later, reports emerged that they were being shot at, Norris said. "This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters," Idaho Governor Brad Little said on X. "I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more." Gun ownership is widespread in the U.S., where the Constitution protects the rights of Americans to "keep and bear arms." Deaths related to gun violence are common - 17,927 people were murdered with a gun in 2023 in the U.S., according to the most recent available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. — Reuters
Otago Daily Times
30-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Firefighters shot dead in Idaho ambush
A gunman ambushed and shot dead two firefighters responding to a forest fire in northern Idaho, wounding one other during an hours-long incident before the suspect was found dead, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said. Law enforcement officers and firefighters took sniper fire during the incident on Sunday (local time) at Canfield Mountain, a nature zone popular with hikers near Coeur d'Alene, about 420km east of Seattle, Sheriff Bob Norris said. "We do believe that the suspect started the fire," Norris told a press conference. "This was a total ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance." A third wounded firefighter was "fighting for his life" after surgery and was in a stable condition, Norris added. Officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect but it was not clear if the gunman was hit and killed, or if he killed himself. The motive for the shooting was not known and Norris did not provide any details on the suspect, saying officers were still working to identify the man. More than 300 law enforcement officers from the city, county, state and federal levels responded to the scene of the shooting, including two helicopters with snipers aboard. Norris said the shooter used a high-powered sporting rifle to fire rapidly at first responders, with law enforcement initially unsure of the number of perpetrators involved. Norris would not provide more details on weapons recovered, saying officers would likely find more guns at the scene on Monday, once the fire was extinguished. Firefighters came under fire almost immediately upon arriving at the scene and did not know where the gunfire was coming from. The suspect was found using cell phone location information and his body was removed by a SWAT team as the fire approached. Video showed smoke billowing from heavily wooded hillsides and armed responders preparing, while several ambulances and emergency vehicles were seen entering a nearby hospital. "FBI technical teams and tactical assets are currently on the scene providing support," FBI deputy director Dan Bongino wrote on X. Firefighters received the first call of a fire around 1:21pm and about 40 minutes later, reports emerged that they were being shot at, Norris said. "This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters," Idaho Governor Brad Little said on X. "I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more." Gun ownership is widespread in the US, where the Constitution protects the rights of Americans to "keep and bear arms." Deaths related to gun violence are common - 17,927 people were murdered with guns in 2023 in the US, according to the most recent available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Express Tribune
30-06-2025
- Express Tribune
Two firefighters shot dead in Idaho ambush, gunman found dead after standoff
An armored police vehicle leaves an area where multiple firefighters were attacked when responding to a fire in the Canfield Mountain area outside Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, US June 29, REUTERS Listen to article A gunman ambushed and fatally shot two firefighters responding to a forest fire in northern Idaho on Sunday, wounding a third, during an hours-long standoff before the suspect was found dead, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said. The shooting occurred at Canfield Mountain, a nature area popular with hikers near Coeur d'Alene, about 260 miles (420 km) east of Seattle. Sheriff Bob Norris told reporters that the incident involved sniper fire targeting both law enforcement officers and firefighters. 'We do believe that the suspect started the fire,' Norris said during a press conference. 'This was a total ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance.' A third firefighter, who was wounded, underwent surgery and is now in stable condition but 'fighting for his life,' Norris said. Officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, though it remains unclear whether the gunman was killed by police or died by suicide. Authorities have not yet identified the suspect or determined a motive. Over 300 law enforcement officers from local, state, and federal agencies responded to the incident. The response included two helicopters carrying snipers. The suspect reportedly used a high-powered sporting rifle and fired rapidly at first responders. Norris said investigators would likely recover more firearms at the scene once the fire was extinguished. Firefighters came under fire almost immediately after arriving at the scene, unaware of the shooter's location. The suspect was later located using cell phone tracking and was recovered by a SWAT team as the fire neared his position. Video footage showed smoke billowing from the wooded hills, armed responders preparing for engagement, and ambulances arriving at a nearby hospital. 'FBI technical teams and tactical assets are currently on the scene providing support,' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino posted on X. According to Norris, firefighters received the initial fire call at 1:21 p.m. (2021 GMT). Within 40 minutes, reports emerged that they were under fire. 'This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,' Idaho Governor Brad Little posted on X. 'I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.' Gun ownership is widespread in the US, where the Constitution protects the right to bear arms. Gun-related deaths remain a persistent issue: in 2023, 17,927 people were murdered with firearms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
