Latest news with #WessRoley
Daily Mail
24-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Idaho sniper's twisted motive for firefighter ambush revealed - and the chilling farewell letter to his father
Idaho sniper's twisted motive for firefighter ambush revealed - and the chilling farewell letter to his father The man accused of shooting two Idaho firefighters dead grew increasingly agitated while attempting to become a firefighter himself - ultimately writing a chilling goodbye note to his father, declaring that he 'shall go to battle.' Wess Roley, 20, launched a deadly attack on first responders last month after deliberately setting a bush fire at Idaho beauty spot Canfield Mountain to lure them in. New revelations about the possible motive behind what officials called a 'pure act of evil' were shared during a Tuesday press conference - including indications of the suspect's growing resentment toward first responders, as reported by KREM 2 News. Roley first attempted to enlist in the Army in Arizona in 2023, seemingly following in the footsteps of his father, a military veteran. He made a second attempt to join the military last year in Hayden, Idaho. However, both times were unsuccessful, as he 'failed to follow through on tasks and appointments, eventually being disqualified by the US Army,' Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said at the conference. Then, just one month before the shootings, Roley visited a Coeur d'Alene fire station to inquire about becoming a firefighter - but grew irritated upon learning the requirements of the process. 'He had the state of mind that he would be able to start that day,' Norris revealed on Tuesday. 'He was told there's a process - you have a written exam, and a physical agility and a background investigation and an oral interview,' he added. Wess Roley, 20, the man accused of shooting two Idaho firefighters dead, grew increasingly agitated while attempting to become a firefighter himself On June 29 - according to Sheriff Norris - Roley used gasoline, lighters and flint to ignite a series of fires on Canfield Mountain to trigger an emergency response, and then opened fire on firefighters who asked him to move his vehicle before taking his own life Roley attempted to enlist in the Army twice, but both attempts were unsuccessful as he 'failed to follow through on tasks and appointments, eventually being disqualified by the US Army' 'The contact became agitated and frustrated. He left there in a very frustrated and agitated state.' During the conference, officials also revealed evidence suggesting the attack was premeditated - including drawings found in Roley's home depicting a mountain parking lot, a shotgun being fired and a figure aiming a rifle at their own chin. A haunting farewell note addressed to his father was also found inside Roley's truck - signed by him alongside two symbols resembling runes associated with Nazi ideology. 'Tomorrow, I shall go to battle,' Roley wrote to his father. 'If I survive, it would be with upmost dishonor. I bid thee farewell.' On June 29 - according to Sheriff Norris - Roley used gasoline, lighters and flint to ignite a series of fires on Canfield Mountain to trigger an emergency response. He then opened fire on firefighters who asked him to move his vehicle, and later shot at others from a tree before taking his own life. 'This was a premeditated ambush, a pure act of evil against the people we look to for help,' Norris said on Tuesday. Kootenai County Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, were killed in the attack. Then, just one month before the shootings, Roley visited a Coeur d'Alene fire station to inquire about becoming a firefighter - but grew irritated upon learning the requirements of the process (pictured: Roley and his mother, Heather Cuchiara) During the conference, officials also revealed evidence suggesting the attack was premeditated - including drawings found in Roley's (pictured) home depicting a mountain parking lot, a shotgun being fired and a figure aiming a rifle at their own chin A haunting farewell note addressed to his father was also found inside Roley's truck - signed by him alongside two symbols resembling runes associated with Nazi ideology (pictured: screenshot of Roley's Instagram Story) Kootenai County Battalion Chief Frank Harwood (pictured), 42, was killed in the attack Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison (pictured), 52, was also killed in the attack Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Fire Engineer David Tysdal, 47, was also badly hurt in what cops described as 'a total ambush,' but is expected to survive. Earlier this month, Daily Mail exclusively revealed that Roley had a troubled past that included bullying gender-fluid kids at his Arizona high school, making disturbing neo-Nazi comments and posting Holocaust-denying TikTok videos. And after moving to Idaho in summer 2024 after a year living with his grandfather Dale, 66, in Vinita, Oklahoma, his life spun further out of control – with a former roommate telling that he made threatening gang signs, had no friends and cheated him out of a month's rent when he was told to move out. Roley had also fallen out with his father Jason, 39 – a heavily tattooed motorcycle enthusiast whose Facebook page carries several pictures of him in Hell's Angel gear – who lives in remote Priest River, Idaho, with his second wife Sara, 35, and their two young children. 'When he first moved in with me, he was just real quiet,' TJ Franks, 28, told in an interview at his modest apartment home in Sandpoint, Idaho, 60 miles north of Coeur d'Alene. 'He didn't really do a whole lot. He just kind of kept to himself and worked. But then, towards the end of his stay here, we started noticing changes in his behavior. 'He shaved all his hair off. He was keeping really late hours at night.' Other difficult behavior included using Franks's personal items such as his clippers without permission, monopolizing the TV and playing video games deep into the small hours. Earlier this month, Daily Mail exclusively revealed that Roley (left) had a troubled past that included bullying gender-fluid kids at his Arizona high school , making disturbing neo-Nazi comments and posting Holocaust-denying TikTok videos TJ Franks (pictured), 28, told that Roley – who was living out of his van when he died – didn't appear to have any friends at all and frequently complained about wanting a girlfriend After moving to Idaho in summer 2024 after a year living with his grandfather Dale, 66, in Vinita, Oklahoma, his life spun further out of control – with a former roommate saying he made threatening gang signs, had no friends and cheated him out of a month's rent when he was told to move out Franks added: 'He left his vehicle running out here for like, 12 or 13 hours, so the landlord called me and wanted me to check on him, and I knocked on his door. 'He was just sleeping, but he jumped up and said he had no idea that it was running – there was a lot of weird stuff like that.' According to Franks, Roley – who was living out of his van when he died – didn't appear to have any friends at all and frequently complained about wanting a girlfriend. But he did nothing to get one, instead spending most of his time off taking lonely rambles along the 3.5-mile Mickinnick Trail – telling Franks he felt most at home in the forest. The pattern is similar to one observed his former classmates in Arizona, with one North Phoenix Prep School graduate telling that that he would bully other students – including cruelly nicknaming one girl 'Horse Teeth' – and had few friends of his own. More disturbing were his neo-Nazi outbursts and penchant for doodling swastikas and other Nazi symbols in his school notebook. 'He was weird,' recalled the student. 'At one point, in 10th grade he got a girlfriend who was Jewish.' 'They both were spreading neo-Nazi propaganda. Wess's notebook was notorious for having doodles of swastikas and satanic symbols in it,' they added. The pattern is similar to one observed his former classmates in Arizona, with one North Phoenix Prep School graduate saying that that he would bully other students – including cruelly nicknaming one girl 'Horse Teeth' – and had few friends of his own Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Fire Engineer David Tysdal (pictured), 47, was also badly hurt in what cops described as 'a total ambush,' but is expected to survive Roley's father Jason has since posted a tribute to the dead firefighters and changed his Facebook profile photo to a badge that read: 'In loving memories of our fallen heroes.' Later in November 2021, the then-10th grader Roley was expelled after threatening both the school and his classmates. His tattooed, dyed-hair girlfriend also left the school and was never heard from again by classmates. Franks also revealed that Roley had shown a consistent disdain for authority. 'He did say that he has a problem not with authorities but authority,' Franks told 'He has a problem with authority, but he was not a political person. You know, I would talk to him about something that I saw on the news,' he added. 'When I did, he would just kind of laugh and he would say, "it's all bull crap anyway."' Ultimately, Roley's behavior became too much for Franks to tolerate, and he asked him to move out, which he did at the end of January this year. After that, police say he lived a transient lifestyle and was the subject of several welfare and trespass calls but did nothing unduly troubling until last month's shootout that claimed the lives of Chief Harwood and Chief Morrison. Roley's father Jason has since posted a tribute to the dead firefighters and changed his Facebook profile photo to a badge that read: 'In loving memories of our fallen heroes.' He added: 'I have no words. I'm so sorry for the families.' Of his estranged son, he said nothing.
CTV News
23-07-2025
- CTV News
Man who killed Idaho firefighters had been turned away by fire department, Army
The Coeur d'Alene Fire Dept. hangs an American flag to honor the firefighters who were killed Sunday, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) The man accused of fatally shooting two Idaho firefighters before killing himself last month had tried to join the fire department, and became angry when told he would need to go through training and testing. Wess Roley also tried to join the Army twice — his father was an Army veteran — but was disqualified after failing to follow through on tasks and appointments, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said Tuesday at a press conference. The new revelations offer a more complete picture of the 20-year-old's resentments. Officials also presented evidence suggesting the attack was premeditated — a goodbye letter to his father they found in his truck and drawings in his home that appear to show a mountain parking lot with a shotgun being fired and a person aiming a rifle at his chin. 'Tomorrow, I shall go to battle,' Roley wrote to his father. 'If I survive, it would be with upmost dishonor. I bid thee farewell.' Next to his signature were two symbols that appear to be runes linked to Nazi ideology. Roley used gas, lighters and flint to start a series of fires at Canfield Mountain on June 29 to instigate a response, then shot at firefighters who asked him to move his vehicle, Norris said. He shot at others from a tree before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the sheriff said. 'A pure act of evil' 'This was a premeditated ambush, a pure act of evil against the people we look to for help,' Norris said. Killed were Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52. Coeur d'Alene Fire Engineer David Tysdal, 47, was hospitalized in critical condition. Investigators hope to learn more from Roley's social media accounts, but it's clear that his frustrations were growing over time, the sheriff said. Roley tried to become a soldier in Arizona in 2023 and again last year in Hayden, Idaho, 'but failed to follow through on tasks and appointments, eventually being disqualified by the U.S. Army,' Norris said. Then, one month before the shootings, Roley went to a Coeur d'Alene fire station asking about becoming a firefighter, Norris said. 'He had the state of mind that he would be able to start that day,' Norris said. 'He was told there's a process — you have a written exam, and a physical agility and a background investigation and an oral interview. The contact became agitated and frustrated. He left there in a very frustrated and agitated state.' Former classmate recalls shooter as aggressive Beyond what the sheriff shared, little is known about Roley's motivation, but Associated Press interviews and court records reveal a troubled early home life and a disconnect from schoolmates, who saw him as an aggressive young man who liked to draw bombs and use firearms. Roley lived with his mother, Heather Caldwell-Cuchiara, and stepfather in Phoenix, Arizona, before moving to northern Idaho to live with his father, Jason Roley, in 2024. Dieter Denen, who went to elementary, middle and high school with Roley, told the AP that Roley's aggression and 'racist' comments made classmates uncomfortable. 'He was really on edge a lot,' Denen said. Roley would say unkind or rude things to people of a different race, culture or religion, he said. 'You'd kind of go, 'what the heck — why would you say that — it's a little messed up to say that," he said. Roley got in trouble for drawing a swastika in a school book, and also liked to draw bombs, planes and 'military things,' Denen said. Roley also bragged about his time in Germany: 'He would always tell me, 'I'm a lot more German in every way compared to you." Denen said he couldn't believe it when a friend texted an article about the shootings. 'It's just so shocking,' Denen said. 'With Wess, he was definitely different when we were younger but it's hard to think that anyone could ever do something like that.' Mother got protection order against his father Court records show his parents, Heather and Jason Roley, were married in San Bernardino, California, in 2008. Jason Roley served in the Army from 2007 to 2015, including two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, and left the service as a staff sergeant, an Army spokesperson said. The family lived in Grafenwöhr, Germany, home to a large U.S. Army base, from 2010 to 2015, when Wess Roley was 5 to 10 years old. Records show his mother filed for divorce after they moved to Phoenix and sought a protection order saying Jason Roley posed a threat to her and their son. Her petition said he was an alcoholic and had been arrested for assaulting her on Oct. 1, 2015. 'He was very intoxicated,' she wrote. 'He was crying inconsolably saying that he was going to commit suicide. Things escalated. He punched several holes in the walls, destroyed my cell phone, pushed me to the ground.' Jason Roley texted her after his arrest saying he was going to kill himself, she wrote. 'Jason verbally threatened me by saying he would be waiting outside with a sniper rifle and burn the place down,' she wrote. 'He said the only thing stopping him from going through with it was going to prison.' 'They did not deserve this' The judge ordered him to stay away from his wife and son and surrender any firearms. 'I am not a danger to my son or anyone else,' Jason Roley responded. 'The plaintiff did not tell the truth in her statement.' The judge apparently believed her after a hearing. His order cited an act of domestic violence and said he might do it again. The protection would continue for the mother, but not their minor child. Three years later, Jason Roley applied for a marriage license, with Sara Peterson. Their social media pages say they're married and live in Priest River, Idaho, near Sandpoint, where Wess Roley had been living before he became homeless. Email and phone messages seeking Jason Roley's comment were not returned. His father, Dale Roley, wrote on Facebook that he's the grandfather. 'I would like give my Condolence's to all those family members who were Unfortunately Victims of yesterdays Crimes,' Dale Roley wrote. 'Those good Brave Firefighters were just doing there Job they did not deserve this!' Martha Bellisle, The Associated Press
The Independent
23-07-2025
- The Independent
Man who killed Idaho firefighters had been turned away by fire department, Army
The man accused of fatally shooting two Idaho firefighters before killing himself last month had tried to join the fire department, and became angry when told he would need to go through training and testing. Wess Roley also tried to join the Army twice — his father was an Army veteran — but was disqualified after failing to follow through on tasks and appointments, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said Tuesday at a press conference. The new revelations offer a more complete picture of the 20-year-old's resentments. Officials also presented evidence suggesting the attack was premeditated — a goodbye letter to his father they found in his truck and drawings in his home that appear to show a mountain parking lot with a shotgun being fired and a person aiming a rifle at his chin. 'Tomorrow, I shall go to battle,' Roley wrote to his father. 'If I survive, it would be with upmost dishonor. I bid thee farewell." Next to his signature were two symbols that appear to be runes linked to Nazi ideology. Roley used gas, lighters and flint to start a series of fires at Canfield Mountain on June 29 to instigate a response, then shot at firefighters who asked him to move his vehicle, Norris said. He shot at others from a tree before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the sheriff said. 'A pure act of evil' "This was a premeditated ambush, a pure act of evil against the people we look to for help," Norris said. Killed were Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52. Coeur d'Alene Fire Engineer David Tysdal, 47, was hospitalized in critical condition. Investigators hope to learn more from Roley's social media accounts, but it's clear that his frustrations were growing over time, the sheriff said. Roley tried to become a soldier in Arizona in 2023 and again last year in Hayden, Idaho, 'but failed to follow through on tasks and appointments, eventually being disqualified by the U.S. Army,' Norris said. Then, one month before the shootings, Roley went to a Coeur d'Alene fire station asking about becoming a firefighter, Norris said. 'He had the state of mind that he would be able to start that day,' Norris said. 'He was told there's a process — you have a written exam, and a physical agility and a background investigation and an oral interview. The contact became agitated and frustrated. He left there in a very frustrated and agitated state.' Former classmate recalls shooter as aggressive Beyond what the sheriff shared, little is known about Roley's motivation, but Associated Press interviews and court records reveal a troubled early home life and a disconnect from schoolmates, who saw him as an aggressive young man who liked to draw bombs and use firearms. Roley lived with his mother, Heather Caldwell-Cuchiara, and stepfather in Phoenix, Arizona, before moving to northern Idaho to live with his father, Jason Roley, in 2024. Dieter Denen, who went to elementary, middle and high school with Roley, told the AP that Roley's aggression and 'racist' comments made classmates uncomfortable. 'He was really on edge a lot,' Denen said. Roley would say unkind or rude things to people of a different race, culture or religion, he said. 'You'd kind of go, 'what the heck — why would you say that — it's a little messed up to say that," he said. Roley got in trouble for drawing a swastika in a school book, and also liked to draw bombs, planes and 'military things,' Denen said. Roley also bragged about his time in Germany: 'He would always tell me, 'I'm a lot more German in every way compared to you." Denen said he couldn't believe it when a friend texted an article about the shootings. 'It's just so shocking," Denen said. "With Wess, he was definitely different when we were younger but it's hard to think that anyone could ever do something like that.' Mother got protection order against his father Court records show his parents, Heather and Jason Roley, were married in San Bernardino, California, in 2008. Jason Roley served in the Army from 2007 to 2015, including two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, and left the service as a staff sergeant, an Army spokesperson said. The family lived in Grafenwöhr, Germany, home to a large U.S. Army base, from 2010 to 2015, when Wess Roley was 5 to 10 years old. Records show his mother filed for divorce after they moved to Phoenix and sought a protection order saying Jason Roley posed a threat to her and their son. Her petition said he was an alcoholic and had been arrested for assaulting her on Oct. 1, 2015. 'He was very intoxicated,' she wrote. 'He was crying inconsolably saying that he was going to commit suicide. Things escalated. He punched several holes in the walls, destroyed my cell phone, pushed me to the ground.' Jason Roley texted her after his arrest saying he was going to kill himself, she wrote. 'Jason verbally threatened me by saying he would be waiting outside with a sniper rifle and burn the place down,' she wrote. 'He said the only thing stopping him from going through with it was going to prison.' 'They did not deserve this' The judge ordered him to stay away from his wife and son and surrender any firearms. 'I am not a danger to my son or anyone else," Jason Roley responded. "The plaintiff did not tell the truth in her statement." The judge apparently believed her after a hearing. His order cited an act of domestic violence and said he might do it again. The protection would continue for the mother, but not their minor child. Three years later, Jason Roley applied for a marriage license, with Sara Peterson. Their social media pages say they're married and live in Priest River, Idaho, near Sandpoint, where Wess Roley had been living before he became homeless. Email and phone messages seeking Jason Roley's comment were not returned. His father, Dale Roley, wrote on Facebook that he's the grandfather. 'I would like give my Condolence's to all those family members who were Unfortunately Victims of yesterdays Crimes," Dale Roley wrote. 'Those good Brave Firefighters were just doing there Job they did not deserve this!'
Associated Press
23-07-2025
- Associated Press
Man who killed Idaho firefighters had been turned away by fire department, Army
The man accused of fatally shooting two Idaho firefighters before killing himself last month had tried to join the fire department, and became angry when told he would need to go through training and testing. Wess Roley also tried to join the Army twice — his father was an Army veteran — but was disqualified after failing to follow through on tasks and appointments, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said Tuesday at a press conference. The new revelations offer a more complete picture of the 20-year-old's resentments. Officials also presented evidence suggesting the attack was premeditated — a goodbye letter to his father they found in his truck and drawings in his home that appear to show a mountain parking lot with a shotgun being fired and a person aiming a rifle at his chin. 'Tomorrow, I shall go to battle,' Roley wrote to his father. 'If I survive, it would be with upmost dishonor. I bid thee farewell.' Next to his signature were two symbols that appear to be runes linked to Nazi ideology. Roley used gas, lighters and flint to start a series of fires at Canfield Mountain on June 29 to instigate a response, then shot at firefighters who asked him to move his vehicle, Norris said. He shot at others from a tree before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the sheriff said. 'A pure act of evil' 'This was a premeditated ambush, a pure act of evil against the people we look to for help,' Norris said. Killed were Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52. Coeur d'Alene Fire Engineer David Tysdal, 47, was hospitalized in critical condition. Investigators hope to learn more from Roley's social media accounts, but it's clear that his frustrations were growing over time, the sheriff said. Roley tried to become a soldier in Arizona in 2023 and again last year in Hayden, Idaho, 'but failed to follow through on tasks and appointments, eventually being disqualified by the U.S. Army,' Norris said. Then, one month before the shootings, Roley went to a Coeur d'Alene fire station asking about becoming a firefighter, Norris said. 'He had the state of mind that he would be able to start that day,' Norris said. 'He was told there's a process — you have a written exam, and a physical agility and a background investigation and an oral interview. The contact became agitated and frustrated. He left there in a very frustrated and agitated state.' Former classmate recalls shooter as aggressive Beyond what the sheriff shared, little is known about Roley's motivation, but Associated Press interviews and court records reveal a troubled early home life and a disconnect from schoolmates, who saw him as an aggressive young man who liked to draw bombs and use firearms. Roley lived with his mother, Heather Caldwell-Cuchiara, and stepfather in Phoenix, Arizona, before moving to northern Idaho to live with his father, Jason Roley, in 2024. Dieter Denen, who went to elementary, middle and high school with Roley, told the AP that Roley's aggression and 'racist' comments made classmates uncomfortable. 'He was really on edge a lot,' Denen said. Roley would say unkind or rude things to people of a different race, culture or religion, he said. 'You'd kind of go, 'what the heck — why would you say that — it's a little messed up to say that,' he said. Roley got in trouble for drawing a swastika in a school book, and also liked to draw bombs, planes and 'military things,' Denen said. Roley also bragged about his time in Germany: 'He would always tell me, 'I'm a lot more German in every way compared to you.' Denen said he couldn't believe it when a friend texted an article about the shootings. 'It's just so shocking,' Denen said. 'With Wess, he was definitely different when we were younger but it's hard to think that anyone could ever do something like that.' Mother got protection order against his father Court records show his parents, Heather and Jason Roley, were married in San Bernardino, California, in 2008. Jason Roley served in the Army from 2007 to 2015, including two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, and left the service as a staff sergeant, an Army spokesperson said. The family lived in Grafenwöhr, Germany, home to a large U.S. Army base, from 2010 to 2015, when Wess Roley was 5 to 10 years old. Records show his mother filed for divorce after they moved to Phoenix and sought a protection order saying Jason Roley posed a threat to her and their son. Her petition said he was an alcoholic and had been arrested for assaulting her on Oct. 1, 2015. 'He was very intoxicated,' she wrote. 'He was crying inconsolably saying that he was going to commit suicide. Things escalated. He punched several holes in the walls, destroyed my cell phone, pushed me to the ground.' Jason Roley texted her after his arrest saying he was going to kill himself, she wrote. 'Jason verbally threatened me by saying he would be waiting outside with a sniper rifle and burn the place down,' she wrote. 'He said the only thing stopping him from going through with it was going to prison.' 'They did not deserve this' The judge ordered him to stay away from his wife and son and surrender any firearms. 'I am not a danger to my son or anyone else,' Jason Roley responded. 'The plaintiff did not tell the truth in her statement.' The judge apparently believed her after a hearing. His order cited an act of domestic violence and said he might do it again. The protection would continue for the mother, but not their minor child. Three years later, Jason Roley applied for a marriage license, with Sara Peterson. Their social media pages say they're married and live in Priest River, Idaho, near Sandpoint, where Wess Roley had been living before he became homeless. Email and phone messages seeking Jason Roley's comment were not returned. His father, Dale Roley, wrote on Facebook that he's the grandfather. 'I would like give my Condolence's to all those family members who were Unfortunately Victims of yesterdays Crimes,' Dale Roley wrote. 'Those good Brave Firefighters were just doing there Job they did not deserve this!'
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.
