The person who authorities consider fatally shot two Idaho firefighters earlier than killing himself had as soon as tried to enter the army and left a word addressed to his father wherein he wrote he would “go into battle,” the Kootenai County sheriff stated Tuesday.
Wess Roley, 20, set a brush hearth on Canfield Mountain close to Coeur D’Alene on June 29 and then opened hearth on responding firefighters, authorities stated, in what they’ve described as an ambush. He later killed himself.
Roley had tried to enter the U.S. Military in Arizona in 2023 and once more in Idaho in 2024, however he by no means adopted by way of on appointments and was disqualified, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Workplace stated in a information convention Tuesday.
He’d additionally entered a Coeur d’Alene hearth station in Might and requested about turning into a firefighter, believing he’d have the ability to begin that day, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris stated.
When informed there was a course of, together with checks and interviews, Roley turned annoyed, and “it was described to us as he left there in a really, very annoyed and agitated state,” Norris stated.
A handwritten letter was present in Roley’s truck addressed to his father, Norris stated at Tuesday’s information convention. Investigators discovered a drawing at his dwelling of somebody with what gave the impression to be a shotgun with the phrases “kill kill kill,” he stated.
“Tomorrow I shall go into battle, if I survive it might be with utmost dishonor,” the letter discovered within the truck reads partly, Norris stated, exhibiting a picture of the doc. The letter additionally learn, “I bid thee farewell.”
At round 1 p.m. the day of the capturing, Roley “dedicated arson by lighting a sequence of fires to provoke a response from native hearth departments,” Norris stated.
At round 1:40 p.m. firefighters requested Roley to maneuver his truck and “the contact is being described as confrontational,” Norris stated.
At round 1:50 p.m. Roley shot and wounded Coeur d’Alene firefighter/engineer David Tysdal, Norris stated.
“Inside milliseconds” he then fatally shot Coeur d’Alene Hearth Battalion Chief John Morrison and Kootenai County Hearth & Rescue Battalion Chief Frank J. Harwood, the sheriff stated.
The firefighters died immediately, Norris stated. Roley’s physique was noticed by a drone at round at round 6:53 p.m. within the closely wooded space, and officers stated he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“This was a premeditated ambush, a pure act of evil towards the folks we glance to for assist,” Norris stated.
The investigation stays ongoing, he stated.
Should you or somebody you recognize is in disaster, name or textual content 988, or go to 988lifeline.org, to achieve the Suicide & Disaster Lifeline. You too can name the community, beforehand referred to as the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/assets.
