Latest news with #WessRoley
The Province
42 minutes ago
- The Province
Man shot, killed Idaho firefighters after they asked him to move his vehicle, sheriff says
The suspect, Wess Roley had set a fire using flint, and the firefighters who rushed to the scene instead found themselves in an unexpected shootout Published Jun 30, 2025 • Last updated 6 hours ago • 3 minute read Firefighters with the United States Forest Service prepare at a staging area near the scene the day after a shooter ambushed and killed multiple firefighters responding to a wildfire at Canfield Mountain in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, Monday, June 30, 2025. Photo by Lindsey Wasson/AP COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A man who started 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris offered new details about the Sunday confrontation 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. 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. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There was an interaction with the firefighters,' Norris said. 'It has something to do with his vehicle being parked where it was.' Roley later killed himself, the sheriff said. He 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 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I didn't know what to really think about it,' Franks said. 'I just called the cops and had them talk to him.' A line of firefighters arrive at the scene the day after a shooter ambushed and killed multiple firefighters responding to a wildfire at Canfield Mountain in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, Monday, June 30, 2025. Photo by Lindsey Wasson/AP 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. 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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 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. 'This is not Idaho. This indescribable loss is felt deeply by all those in the firefighting community and beyond.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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 Ed White in Detroit and Martha Bellisle in Seattle contributed to this report. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. 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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Idaho sniper suspect Wess Roley's chilling social media post hours before ambush that saw two firefighters killed
THE suspected gunman who lit a wildfire to lure firefighters into tackling a blaze before shooting them dead shared a sinister warning on social media - hours before the ambush. Wess Roley, 20, allegedly killed two firefighters and left a third fighting for their life after opening fire in Coeur D'Alene in Idaho on Sunday. 2 2 Roley was found dead around six hours after fire crews received the initial calls about the blaze in the mountain range. Cops on Monday shared photos of Roley wearing camouflaged gear that he shared on social media. He shared lyrics from a Bjork song, warning: 'I'm going hunting.' Investigators are still probing what motivated Roley to carry out the shooting - which has left family members reeling. Police revealed they didn't find any manifesto. Roley's grandpa, Dale, said he had no idea his grandson could carry out the killings. Dale told the New York Times that he was close with Roley, but the pair lost contact around a month ago. He said that Roley had lost his cell phone. Dale revealed that his grandson had dreams of becoming a firefighter. 'He was just trying to figure his life out,' he said. 'He seemed to be a little bit optimistic.'
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Idaho officials name suspect in deadly ‘ambush' that killed two US firefighters
LOS ANGELES, July 1 — Officials in the US state of Idaho have identified the man believed to have ignited a brush fire Sunday and shot at responding firefighters, killing two. The suspect, who apparently took his own life, was named as 20-year-old Wess Roley on Monday by Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris. A third firefighter was also injured in the incident, which occurred on Canfield Mountain, outside the city of Coeur d'Alene in the northwestern state. The sheriff said Roley was originally from California and had lived in various places on the West Coast. 'We have information that he, at one time wanted to be a firefighter, so we don't know if there's a nexus to that desire and what happened yesterday,' Norris told a press conference. The victims of the incident were identified as Frank Harwood, 42, and John Morrison, 52, both veterans of the Kootenai County Fire Department. The injured officer was identified as 47-year-old Dave Tysdal, who underwent two surgeries in the last 24 hours, according to Coeur d'Alene Fire Chief Tom Greif. The sheriff on Sunday had said the fire had been intentionally set, calling it an 'ambush.' About 300 law enforcement officers were deployed to the area as the hectic scene unfolded. Serious gun violence is common across the United States, where many states have few barriers to the purchasing of firearms, despite widespread support for greater gun control. There have been 189 mass shootings in the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive — which it defines as four or more people shot. — AFP
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
The man accused of killing 2 Idaho firefighters had once aspired to be one
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — 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.
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
The man accused of killing 2 Idaho firefighters had once aspired to be one
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 careers 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 US 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).
